Phases array communication system utilizing variable frequency oscillator and delay line network for phase shift compensation
First Claim
1. A communication receiver comprising:
- a) an array of antenna elements each receiving electromagnetic radiation that includes a received signal within a first frequency band;
b) a plurality of tuners corresponding to said array of antenna elements, each tuner comprising an amplification stage, mixer and bandpass filter stage, said amplification stage and mixer operably coupled to a corresponding antenna element and operating on said received signal received at said corresponding antenna element to downconvert said received signal to a second frequency band lower than said first frequency band, and said bandpass filter stage operating on output of said mixer to remove unwanted signal components therein; and
c) a summing amplifier for summing output of each bandpass filter stage in said plurality of tuners to produce a combined signal that is output for subsequent processing;
wherein oscillating waveform signals supplied to the mixers of said plurality of tuners have different phase delays to compensate for phase difference in said received signal over said array of antenna elements.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved receiving phased array communication system supplies oscillating waveform signals with different phase delays to downconverting mixers in the processing channels of the receiving phased array communication system to compensate for phase difference in the received signal over the antenna elements therein. Similarly, an improved transmitting phased array communication system supplies oscillating waveform signals with different phase delays to the upconverting mixers in the processing channels of the transmitting phased array communication system to introduce phase difference in the transmit signal for transmission over the antenna elements therein. The oscillating waveform signals with different phase delays are preferably derived from a local oscillator that generates a local oscillating signal, and a delay line network having a plurality of fixed delay lines arranged in a serial manner to introduce increasing fixed phase delays in the local oscillating signal.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. A communication receiver comprising:
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a) an array of antenna elements each receiving electromagnetic radiation that includes a received signal within a first frequency band;
b) a plurality of tuners corresponding to said array of antenna elements, each tuner comprising an amplification stage, mixer and bandpass filter stage, said amplification stage and mixer operably coupled to a corresponding antenna element and operating on said received signal received at said corresponding antenna element to downconvert said received signal to a second frequency band lower than said first frequency band, and said bandpass filter stage operating on output of said mixer to remove unwanted signal components therein; and
c) a summing amplifier for summing output of each bandpass filter stage in said plurality of tuners to produce a combined signal that is output for subsequent processing;
wherein oscillating waveform signals supplied to the mixers of said plurality of tuners have different phase delays to compensate for phase difference in said received signal over said array of antenna elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A communication transmitter comprising:
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a) a splitter;
b) a plurality of modulators that receive a transmit signal within a first frequency band from said splitter, each modulator including a mixer, bandpass filter stage and amplification stage;
said mixer operating on said transmit signal to upconvert said transmit signal to a second frequency band higher than said first frequency band, said bandpass filter stage operating on output of said mixer to remove unwanted signal components therein, and said amplification stage amplifying output of said bandpass filter stage; and
c) an array of antenna elements corresponding to said plurality of modulators, each antenna element operably coupled to said amplification stage of the corresponding modulator;
wherein oscillating waveform signals supplied to said mixers of said plurality of modulators have different phase delays to introduce phase difference in said transmit signal over said array of antenna elements. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A communications system, comprising:
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a) a communications transmitter including i) a splitter;
ii) a plurality of modulators that receive a transmit signal within a first frequency band from said splitter, each modulator including a mixer, bandpass filter stage and amplification stage;
said mixer operating on said transmit signal to upconvert said transmit signal to a second frequency band higher than said first frequency band, said bandpass filter stage operating on output of said mixer to remove unwanted signal components therein, and said amplification stage amplifying output of said bandpass filter stage; and
iii) an array of antenna elements corresponding to said plurality of modulators, each antenna element operably coupled to said amplification stage of the corresponding modulator;
wherein oscillating waveform signals supplied to said mixers of said plurality of modulators have different phase delays to introduce phase difference in said transmit signal over said array of antenna elements; and
b) a communication receiver including i) an array of antenna elements each receiving electromagnetic radiation that includes a received signal within a first frequency band;
ii) a plurality of tuners corresponding to said array of antenna elements, each tuner comprising an amplification stage, mixer and bandpass filter stage, said amplification stage and mixer operably coupled to a corresponding antenna element and operating on said received signal received at said corresponding antenna element to downconvert said received signal to a second frequency band lower than said first frequency band, and said bandpass filter stage operating on output of said mixer to remove unwanted signal components therein; and
iii) a summing amplifier for summing output of each bandpass filter stage in said plurality of tuners to produce a combined signal that is output for subsequent processing;
wherein oscillating waveform signals supplied to the mixers of said plurality of tuners have different phase delays to compensate for phase difference in said received signal over said array of antenna elements. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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Specification