Method of and system for receiving microwave

• US 20020030624A1
• Filed: 06/04/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Mikami, Izumi, Konishi, Yoshihiko, Takada, Kazuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 6,492,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/354
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/1085 Swarms and constellations
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/428 Power distribution and management
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/443 Photovoltaic cell arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/27 characterised by the type of receiving antennas, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment

Abstract

A method of and a system for receiving microwave beams from a plurality of power satellites (1) in space by way of a receiving antenna (3). By controlling the directions of a plurality of microwave beams to be transmitted from the plurality of power satellites, the plurality of power satellites (1) direct the plurality of microwave beams into an aperture surface of the receiving antenna (3), respectively, so that the plurality of microwave beams can be dispersively received at a number of different positions on the aperture surface of the receiving antenna (3), so as to level the energy distribution of the microwaves received on the aperture surface of the receiving antenna (3).

Claims

1. A method of receiving microwave beams from a-plurality of power satellites in space by way of a receiving antenna, said method comprising the step of:

by controlling a direction of each of a plurality of microwave beams to be transmitted from said plurality of power satellites, directing the plurality of microwave beams into an aperture surface of said receiving antenna so that the plurality of microwave beams are dispersively received at a number of different positions on the aperture surface of said receiving antenna, so as to level energy distribution of the microwaves received on the aperture surface of said receiving antenna.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of virtually defining a plurality of small regions on the aperture surface of said receiving antenna as the plurality of different positions, and controlling the direction of each of the plurality of microwave beams to be transmitted so that the plurality of microwave beams are directed into said plurality of small regions, respectively.

3. A microwave receiving system comprising:

a plurality of power satellites each for transmitting a microwave beam;

a receiving antenna for receiving a plurality of microwave beams from said plurality of power satellites; and

a control means for controlling said plurality of power satellites so that the plurality of microwave beams are dispersively directed into a number of predetermined different positions on an aperture surface of said receiving antenna.

4. The microwave receiving system according to claim 3, wherein said control means controls said plurality of power satellites so that the microwave beam from each of said plurality of power satellites is directed into a corresponding one of the plurality of predetermined different positions on the aperture surface of said receiving antenna.

5. The microwave receiving system according to claim 3, wherein said plurality of predetermined different positions are arranged uniformly on the aperture surface of said receiving antenna.

6. The microwave receiving system according to claim 3, wherein said control means controls the direction of each of the plurality of microwave beams to be transmitted from said plurality of power satellites based on information on the plurality of predetermined different positions on the aperture surface of said receiving antenna.

7. The microwave receiving system according to claim 6, wherein said control means includes a location information transmission means for transmitting the information on the plurality of predetermined different positions on the aperture surface of said receiving antenna, and a beam direction control means for controlling the direction of each of the plurality of microwave beams to be transmitted from said plurality of power satellites based on the information transmitted by said location information transmission means.

8. The microwave receiving system according to claim 3, wherein said plurality of predetermined different positions are a plurality of small regions that are virtually defined on the aperture surface of said receiving antenna, and wherein said control means controls said plurality of power satellites so that the microwave beam from each of said plurality of power satellites is directed into a corresponding one of the plurality of small regions on the aperture surface of said receiving antenna.

9. The microwave receiving system according to claim 8, wherein said control means controls each of said plurality of power satellites so that the microwave beam from each of said plurality of power satellites is directed into a different one of the plurality of small regions on the aperture surface of said receiving antenna.

10. The microwave receiving system according to claim 8, wherein a number of said plurality of power satellites is equal to a number of said plurality of small regions, and said control means controls each of said plurality of power satellites so that the microwave from each of said plurality of power satellites is directed into a different one of the plurality of small regions on the aperture surface of said receiving antenna.

11. The microwave receiving system according to claim 8, wherein said plurality of power satellites is divided into a number of groups, and a number of said plurality of groups is equal to a number of said plurality of small regions, and wherein said control means controls each of said plurality of power satellites so that a microwave beam from each of said plurality of groups is directed into a different one of the plurality of small regions on the aperture surface of said receiving antenna.

12. The microwave receiving system according to claim 8, wherein said plurality of small regions include a plurality of first small regions into which the aperture surface is divided so that they do not overlap one another, and a plurality of second small regions which do not overlap one another and each of which is located at a boundary between first small regions adjacent to each other.

13. The microwave receiving system according to claim 3, wherein said receiving antenna is an array antenna including a plurality of antenna elements arranged in a form of an array.