ARRAY ANTENNA APPARATUS

• US 20140194293A1
• Filed: 02/01/2013
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kumamoto, Tsuyoshi, Kayano, Hiroyuki, Kawaguchi, Tamio
• Granted Patent: US 9,088,325 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 505/163
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/065 provided with a flange or a choke
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/34 by electrical means active lenses or reflecting arrays H01Q3/46
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/10 Means associated with receiver for limiting or suppressing noise or interference

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an array antenna apparatus includes a distributor, transmission phase shifters, transmission amplifiers, transmission filters, transmission/reception switches, limiters, reception filters, low-noise amplifiers, reception phase shifters, a combiner, a vacuum vessel, a refrigerating unit, and a cooling plate.

Claims

1. An array antenna apparatus comprising:

a plurality of antenna elements arranged in an array pattern;

a reception filter configured to pass a reception signal, out of signals respectively received by the plurality of antenna elements, which falls within a desired frequency band;

a low-noise amplifier (LNA) configured to amplify a reception signal having passed through the reception filter with low noise;

a phase controller configured to control phase of a reception signal amplified by the LNA;

a combining unit configured to combine a plurality of reception signals controlled to have a desired phase by the phase control unit;

a thermally insulating container configured to house the reception filter and the LNA and insulate external heat;

a cooling unit configured to cool to extremely-low temperature in the thermally insulating container;

a connecting wire configured to connect between the reception filter, the reception filter, and the LNA;

an input interface configured to input a signal supplied from the outside of the container into the inside of the container; and

an output interface configured to output a signal supplied from the inside of the container into the outside of the container;

wherein the connecting wire is formed from a superconducting material, and

a noncontact waveguide is used for at least one of the input interface and the output interface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a limiter provided on an input side of the LNA and configured to limit a signal level of a signal from the antenna element,

wherein the thermally insulating container also houses the limiter.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the insulting container comprises a vacuum vessel configured to bring a surrounding where at least a superconducting material forming the reception filter is placed into a vacuum state.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thermally insulating container is partitioned for each reception circuit corresponding to the antenna element.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a transmission line arranged outside the thermally insulating container is formed on one of a single circuit board and a multilayer circuit board, and an electromagnetic coupling scheme is used for connection between the transmission line in the circuit board and a noncontact waveguide connected in the thermally insulating container.