LOW COST CABLELESS GROUND STATION ANTENNA FOR MEDIUM EARTH ORBIT SATELLITE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

• US 20150097727A1
• Filed: 10/04/2013
• Published: 04/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ozaki, Ernest Tadashi, Ames, William G., Jalali, Ahmad
• Granted Patent: US 9,766,345 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.63
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/24 Acquisition or tracking or demodulation of signals transmitted by the system synchronisation aspects of direct sequence spread spectrum modulation H04B1/7073
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/17 the primary radiating source comprising two or more radiating elements H01Q19/15, H01Q25/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/007 using two or more primary active elements in the focal region of a focusing device for operation on different wavebands H01Q5/22
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/12 using mechanical relative movement between primary active elements and secondary devices of antennas or antenna systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/18 wherein the primary active element is movable and the reflecting device is fixed

Abstract

A ground station antenna including a torus shaped reflector having multiple feed points along a focal arc in front of the reflector. The ground station antenna includes transceiver feeds having their electrical phase centers located on the focal arc and supported by a rotating feed platform. The transceiver feeds are configured to simultaneously track rising and falling satellites when the platform rotates. The ground station antenna further includes a wireless power receiver coupled to the transceiver feeds to power the transceiver feeds. The ground station antenna further includes a wireless signal interface coupled to the transceiver feeds to communicate signals with a base unit to perform subsequent processing.

Claims

1. A ground station antenna, comprising:

a torus shaped reflector having multiple feed points along a focal arc in front of the reflector;

a plurality of transceiver feeds having their electrical phase centers located on the focal arc and supported by a rotating feed platform, the plurality of transceiver feeds configured to simultaneously track rising and falling satellites when the platform rotates;

a wireless power receiver coupled to the plurality of transceiver feeds to power the transceiver feeds; and

a wireless signal interface coupled to the plurality of transceiver feeds to communicate signals with a base unit to perform subsequent processing.

2. The ground station antenna of claim 1, further comprising a converter coupled to the plurality of transceiver feeds to convert a received signal to a lower frequency signal prior to communicating with the base unit.

3. The ground station antenna of claim 2, in which the lower frequency signal is an intermediate frequency signal.

4. The ground station antenna of claim 2, in which the lower frequency signal is a baseband signal.

5. The ground station antenna of claim 1, in which the plurality of transceiver feeds simultaneously track rising and falling satellites over approximately 80 degrees.

6. The ground station antenna of claim 1, in which the wireless signal interface communicates using a wireless local area network (WLAN), a personal area network (PAN), a local area network, and/or a wide area network device.

7. The ground station antenna of claim 1, in which the wireless power receiver is coupled to the plurality of transceiver feeds via a fixed plate having a charging loop.

8. A ground station antenna, comprising:

means for a reflecting a signal on multiple feed points along a focal arc;

means for simultaneously tracking rising and falling satellites;

means for rotating the tracking means along the focal arc, the rotating means coupled to the tracking means;

means for wirelessly powering the tracking means; and

means for wirelessly communicating signals from the tracking means to a base unit to perform subsequent processing.

9. The ground station antenna of claim 8, further comprising means for converting a received signal to a lower frequency signal prior to communicating with the base unit.

10. The ground station antenna of claim 9, in which the lower frequency signal is an intermediate frequency signal.

11. The ground station antenna of claim 9, in which the lower frequency signal is a baseband signal.

12. The ground station antenna of claim 8, in which the tracking means covers approximately 80 degrees.

13. The ground station antenna of claim 8, in which the communicating means comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN), a personal area network (PAN), a local area network, and/or a wide area network device.

14. A method of wireless communication using a ground station antenna having a torus shaped reflector with multiple feed points along a focal arc in front of the reflector, comprising:

simultaneously tracking rising and falling satellites by rotating a plurality of transceiver feeds along the focal arc, the plurality of transceiver feeds having their electrical phase centers located on the focal arc;

wirelessly powering the plurality of transceiver feeds; and

wirelessly communicating signals between the plurality of transceiver feeds and a base unit to perform subsequent processing.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising converting a signal received at the plurality of transceiver feeds to a lower frequency signal prior to communicating with the base unit.

16. The method of claim 15, in which the lower frequency signal is an intermediate frequency signal or a baseband signal.

17. The method of claim 14, in which tracking the rising and falling satellites covers approximately 80 degrees.

18. The method of claim 14, in which wireless communicating signals communication is performed using a wireless local area network (WLAN), a personal area network (PAN), a local area network, and/or a wide area network protocol.

19. A computer program product to provide wireless communication using a ground station antenna having a torus shaped reflector with multiple feed points along a focal arc in front of the reflector, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon, the program code comprising;

program code to simultaneously track rising and falling satellites by rotating a plurality of transceiver feeds along the focal arc, the plurality of transceiver feeds having their electrical phase centers located on the focal arc;

program code to wirelessly power the plurality of transceiver feeds; and

program code to wirelessly communicate signals between the plurality of transceiver feeds and a base unit to perform subsequent processing.