Active channelized integrated antenna system

• US 20100255805A1
• Filed: 04/06/2009
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Deaton, Robert A., Chandler, Charles, Conrad, Roger A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,630,601 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/272
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/021 Auxiliary means for detecting or identifying radar signals or the like, e.g. radar jamming signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/00 Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups H04B3/00 - H04B13/00; Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/18 Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H

Abstract

An active channelized antenna system includes an antenna array operable over a multi-octave frequency band to provide one or more antenna output signals. An electronics module includes multiplexer circuitry responsive to the one or more antenna output signals configured to divide an input signal spectrum into a plurality of frequency band components each of less than an octave bandwidth. The electronics module includes a plurality of amplifiers each of less than an octave bandwidth to provide an amplified component signal for a respective frequency band. Combiner circuitry included with the electronics module is configured to combine the amplified frequency band components into a composite signal. A transmission medium such as a coaxial cable, fiber optic line or free space, is configured to transmit the composite signal to a remotely located receiver system. The antenna system may be employed as a repeater system

Claims

1. An active channelized antenna system, comprising:

an antenna array operable over a multi-octave frequency band of an input signal spectrum to provide one or more antenna output signals;

an electronics module comprising multiplexer circuitry responsive to the one or more antenna output signals configured to divide an input signal spectrum in said multi-octave frequency band into a plurality of frequency band components each of less than an octave bandwidth, said electronics module including a plurality of amplifiers each of less than an octave bandwidth to provide an amplified component signal for a respective frequency band;

combiner circuitry for combining the amplified frequency band components into a composite signal which replicates the input signal spectrum;

a transmission medium for transmitting the composite signal to a remotely located receiver system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium includes a long coaxial cable.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the antenna array comprises a dual polarization sinuous antenna, providing a first antenna output of a first polarization sense and a second antenna output of a second polarization sense.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said electronics module comprising a switch circuit for selecting either said first antenna output or said second antenna output for input to said multiplexer circuitry.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the antenna array further includes a spiral antenna.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said sinuous antenna and said spiral antenna are fabricated on a dielectric radome structure mounted on an aircraft.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said combiner circuitry is band-matched to each of said less than an octave bandwidths such that there is no interference.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said multi-octave band includes a frequency range from 3.5 GHz to 18 GHz.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said frequency band components each of less than an octave bandwidth includes a first band component at a frequency band between about 3.5 GHz and about 6.5 GHz, a second band component at a frequency band between about 6.5 GHz and 12 GHz, and a third band component at a frequency band between about 12 GHz and 18 GHz.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of amplifiers includes a plurality of low noise amplifiers.

11. A method for receiving a signal over a wideband spectrum, amplifying the signal without introducing significant harmonics and retransmitting a full band signal representative of the received signal to a remote location, comprising:

receiving full band signals in a wideband frequency spectrum at an antenna system;

dividing the full band signals into a plurality of frequency band components, each of said frequency band components having a sub-octave frequency bandwidth;

amplifying each of the plurality of frequency band components by respective low noise amplifiers each having a sub-octave frequency bandwidth;

combining the respective amplified frequency band components into a composite signal which replicates the full band signals; and

propagating the composite signal to a remote location.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said re-transmitting the amplified version of the full band signals to a remote location includes propagating the amplified version to the remote location through a coaxial cable.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said combining the respective amplified frequency band components into an amplified version of the full band signals includes providing sharp rolloff of an out-of-band response for each of the sub-octave frequency bands, and controlling phases at a crossover such that the signals at the crossover do not cancel.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said wideband frequency spectrum includes a frequency range from 3.5 GHz to 18 GHz.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said frequency band components include a first band component at a frequency band between about 3.5 GHz and about 6.5 GHz, a second band component at a frequency band between about 6.5 GHz and 12 GHz, and a third band component at a frequency band between about 12 GHz and 18 GHz.

16. A broadband repeater system, comprising:

an input module, a remotely located output module and a transmission medium providing a communication path between the input module and the output module;

the input module including

an input antenna array operable over a multi-octave frequency band to provide one or more input antenna received signals over an input signal spectrum;

an input module electronics module comprising multiplexer circuitry responsive to the one or more antenna received signals configured to divide the input signal spectrum in said multi-octave frequency band into a plurality of frequency band components each of less than an octave bandwidth, said electronics module including a plurality of low noise amplifiers each of less than an octave bandwidth to provide an amplified component signal for a respective frequency band;

the transmission medium for transmitting signals from the input module to the remotely located output module;

the output module including;

an output module electronics module comprising a plurality of power amplifiers each of less than an octave bandwidth to provide an amplified component signal for a respective frequency band, multiplexer circuitry responsive to amplified component signals to combine said signals into an output signal spectrum;

an output antenna array operable over a multi-octave frequency band and responsive to said output signal spectrum to provide one or more output antenna transmitted signals in said output signal spectrum;

and wherein the output signal spectrum is a replica of the input signal spectrum.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the transmission medium includes a plurality of coaxial cables configured to couple an amplified component signal for a respective frequency band of said input module to a corresponding power amplifier of said output module.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the input module electronics module includes input module combiner circuitry for combining the amplified frequency band components into an input module composite signal;

the input module composite signal transmitted through the transmission medium to the output module; and

the output module includes output module divider circuitry for dividing the transmitted input composite signal into a plurality of frequency band signal components each of less than an octave bandwidth for combining by the multiplexer circuitry.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the transmission medium includes a coaxial cable.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein said multi-octave band includes a frequency range from 3.5 GHz to 18 GHz.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said frequency band components each of less than an octave bandwidth includes a first band component at a frequency band between about 3.5 GHz and about 6.5 GHz, a second band component at a frequency band between about 6.5 GHz and 12 GHz, and a third band component at a frequency band between about 12 GHz and 18 GHz.