Beam steering array antenna method and apparatus

• US 20050253764A1
• Filed: 05/15/2004
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Southern Methodist University
• Original Assignee: Southern Methodist University
• Inventors: Lee, Choon Sae
• Granted Patent: US 7,250,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/757
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0075 Stripline fed arrays H01Q21/065 takes precedence

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus which reduces the number of phase shifters required in an antenna array. This is accomplished by supplying standing waves from the phase shifters to each of the radiating elements in a column or row. The standing waves in the rows are orthogonal to the standing waves in the columns. Each of the radiating elements combines the applied standing waves, the phases of which determine the angle of the resultant beam.

Claims

1. A phased array flat panel antenna comprising:

a plurality of M sets of radiating elements, wherein each of said M sets is spaced apart and aligned in a first direction;

a plurality of N sets of radiating elements, wherein each of said N sets is spaced apart and aligned in a second direction that is in a substantially quadrature relationship with said first direction;

a plurality M of phase shifters, each of said M phase shifters supplying signals of a near similar, but different, phase to at least one of said sets of N radiating elements; and

a plurality N of phase shifters, each of said N phase shifters supplying signals of a near similar, but different, phase to at least one of said sets of M radiating elements.

2. A phased array flat panel antenna comprising:

a plurality of radiating elements, said radiating elements formed in a substantially rectangular array of M sets of elements in a first direction and N sets of elements in a second direction;

a plurality M of phase shifters, each of said M phase shifters supplying signals to a different set of N radiating elements in said rectangular array; and

a plurality N of phase shifters, each of said N phase shifters supplying signals to a different set of M radiating elements in said rectangular array.

3. A method of generating a beam steered signal from an antenna array of M by N sets of radiating elements comprising the steps of:

supplying M sets of standing wave signals to each of N sets of radiating elements; and

supplying N sets of standing wave signals to each of M sets of radiating elements.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising positioning each of said M sets of standing wave signals substantially orthogonal to said N sets of standing wave signals.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said positioning step further comprises positioning said radiating elements in a flat panel antenna array.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising combining the forces of said two standing waves received by each radiating element to produce a resultant beam which deviates from an imaginary line vertical to said array.

7. A phased array antenna comprising:

a plurality of radiating elements formed in an array of M sets of elements in a first direction and N sets of elements in a second direction;

a plurality M of phase shifters, each of said M phase shifters supplying standing wave signals to a different set of N radiating elements in said array; and

a plurality N of phase shifters, each of said N phase shifters supplying standing wave signals to a different set of M radiating elements in said array.

8. A phased array flat panel antenna comprising:

a plurality of (M×

N) radiating elements formed in an array of M elements in a first direction and N elements in a second direction;

a plurality M+N phase shifters, said M+N phase shifters operating to supply signals to all of said M×

N radiating elements to form a composite signal beam at an angle deviating from an imaginary vertical line extending from said panel.

9. A phased array antenna having an array of M rows and N columns of radiating elements, comprising:

a plurality M of phase controllable standing wave sources, each of said M phase controllable standing wave sources supplying standing wave signals to each of the radiating elements in a different row of N radiating elements in said array; and

a plurality N of phase controllable standing wave sources, each of said N phase controllable standing wave sources supplying standing wave signals to each of the radiating elements in a different column of M radiating elements in said array.