Electrically scanned TACAN antenna

• US 10,290,929 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2016
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Airports Corporation (Government of The Republic of Korea)
• Original Assignee: Korea Airports Corporation (Government of The Republic of Korea)
• Inventors: Park, Sang Jin, Choi, Yong Gyu, Kim, Su Kyung
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoang V
• Application Number:
  US15/155,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20160261033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/02 using radio waves G01S19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/48 wherein the phase angle of the direction-dependent envelope signal is a multiple of the direction angle, e.g. for "fine" bearing indication TACAN
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/28 Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/446 the radiating element being at the centre of one or more rings of auxiliary elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/385 Two or more parasitic elements

Abstract

An electrically scanned TACAN antenna is provided. To elaborate, the electrically scanned TACAN antenna includes a reflection plate; a monopole antenna provided on an upper surface of the reflection plate and configured to omnidirectionally radiate a signal; multiple parasitic radiators arranged around the monopole antenna and configured to operate as reflectors that reflect the signal or directors that direct the signal; and a controller configured to control parasitic radiators operating as the reflectors to operate as the directors and some parasitic radiators among parasitic radiators operating as the directors to operate as the reflectors at every predetermined timing and controls an order to be the some parasitic radiators to be changed according to a preset sequence.

Claims

1. An electrically scanned TACAN antenna comprising:

a reflection plate;

a monopole antenna provided on an upper surface of the reflection plate and configured to omnidirectionally radiate a signal;

multiple parasitic radiators arranged around the monopole antenna and configured to operate as reflectors that reflect the signal or directors that direct the signal; and

a controller configured to control parasitic radiators operating as the reflectors to operate as the directors and some parasitic radiators among parasitic radiators operating as the directors to operate as the reflectors at every predetermined timing and choose the some parasitic radiators to be changed according to a preset sequence, and

wherein the parasitic radiators are circularly arranged at a predetermined distance from each other on donut-shaped first area and second area having concentricity with a location of the monopole antenna, and the second area is farther spaced from the monopole antenna than the first area,

wherein 16 parasitic radiators arranged in each of 2 rows on the first area have different lengths and different radiation patterns depending on a row in which the parasitic radiators are arranged, and 63 parasitic radiators arranged in each of 3 rows on the second area have different lengths and different radiation patterns depending on a row in which the parasitic radiators are arranged,

wherein the controller is configured to control parasitic radiators arranged in 1 column operating as the directors among the 16 parasitic radiators arranged in each of 2 rows to operate as the reflectors, and control a parasitic radiator arranged in any one row among the parasitic radiators arranged in the 1 column to operate in any one of two previously divided frequency bands within a preset frequency range for use of TACAN antenna, and

the controller is configured to control parasitic radiators arranged in 9 columns operating as the directors equally spaced from each other among the 63 parasitic radiators arranged in each of 3 rows to operate as the reflectors, and control parasitic radiators arranged in any one row among the parasitic radiators arranged in the 9 columns to operate in any one of three previously divided frequency bands within a preset frequency range for use of TACAN antenna.

2. The electrically scanned TACAN antenna of claim 1,

wherein the reflection plate has a circular plate shape, and

the monopole antenna is arranged at the center of the circular plate.

3. The electrically scanned TACAN antenna of claim 1,

wherein the controller is configured to control the parasitic radiators arranged in the 1 column on the first area and the parasitic radiators arranged in the 9 columns on the second area to operate as the reflector every 1/15 second, and

the controller is configured to control the parasitic radiators arranged in the 1 column to be changed in a clockwise direction according to a sequence of arrangement on the first area and the parasitic radiators arranged in the 9 columns to be changed in the clockwise direction according to a sequence of arrangement on the second area.

4. The electrically scanned TACAN antenna of claim 1,

wherein each of the parasitic radiators is implemented on a PCB, and

on the upper surface of the reflection plate, a connector which is connected to or disconnected from one end of the PCB is provided and fixed.

5. The electrically scanned TACAN antenna of claim 1,

wherein the controller is configured to control a forward bias to be applied to a PIN diode connected to some parasitic radiators operating as the directors and a backward bias to be applied to a PIN diode connected to a parasitic radiator operating as the reflector.

6. The electrically scanned TACAN antenna of claim 5,

wherein the controller includes multiple switching elements each connected to the PIN diode, and

the controller is configured to switch a bias to be applied to the PIN diode at every predetermined timing by using the switching elements.