ANTENNA FOR RECEIVING AND/OR TRANSMITTING POLARIZED COMMUNICATION SIGNALS

• US 20160006465A1
• Filed: 02/27/2014
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mobile Sat Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mobile Sat Ltd.
• Inventors: BEREJIK, Zacharia
• Granted Patent: US 9,503,131 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3275 mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/0208 Corrugated horns waveguide mouth antenna with corrugated flange H01Q13/065; manufacturing details H01Q13/0283
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/0241 radiating a circularly polarised wave H01Q13/0258 takes precedence; polarisation converters H01Q15/244, in a waveguide H01P1/17
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/0258 Orthomode horns orthomode transducers H01P1/161
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/24 Polarising devices; Polarisation filters H01Q15/12, H01Q15/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/244 converting a linear polarised wave into a circular polarised wave guided wave H01P1/17
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/10 using reflecting surfaces
• 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 19/19 comprising one main concave reflecting surface associated with an auxiliary reflecting surface
• 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 3/26 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: H04B 1/0475 with means for limiting noise, interference or distortion H04B1/0483 takes precedence

Abstract

An antenna for communicating with a remote communication system. The antenna comprises main and sub reflectors, a beam shaping element facing the sub reflector and having a plurality of feeding points, a plurality of ortho-mode transducers (OMTs), and a plurality of waveguides each having a proximal end connected to another of the plurality of OMTs and a distal end connected to one of the plurality of feeding points. The beam shaping element is sized and shaped to form an ellipsoidal beam creating a first elliptical spot on the sub reflector by combining a plurality of polarized intermediate transmission signals; each of the polarized intermediate transmission signals is originated from another of the plurality of OMTs.

Claims

1. An antenna for communicating with a remote communication system, comprising:

main and sub reflectors;

a beam shaping element facing said sub reflector and having a plurality of feeding points;

a plurality of ortho-mode transducers (OMTs); and

a plurality of waveguides each having a proximal end connected to another of said plurality of OMTs and a distal end connected to one of said plurality of feeding points;

wherein said beam shaping element is sized and shaped to form an ellipsoidal beam creating a first elliptical spot on said sub reflector by combining a plurality of polarized intermediate transmission signals;

each of said polarized intermediate transmission signals is originated from another of said plurality of OMTs.

2. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising a polarization motor to rotate and synchronically said plurality of OMTs to separately and synchronically polarize each one of said polarized intermediate transmission signals.

3. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of linear to circular polarizing elements each separately connected to one of said plurality of OMTs;

each said polarized intermediate transmission signal being conducted via another of said plurality of waveguides and having a polarization converted by another of said plurality of linear to circular polarizing elements.

4. The antenna of claim 3, wherein said plurality of polarized intermediate transmission signals have a common circular polarization and a common phase.

5. The antenna of claim 1, wherein said beam shaping element comprises a common feed horn.

6. The antenna of claim 1, wherein said beam shaping element comprises a plurality of spate feed horns.

7. The antenna of claim 1, wherein a ratio of magnitudes of an axis defined by electric field vectors of said ellipsoidal beam and said polarized intermediate transmission signals is about 1:

1.

8. The antenna of claim 1, wherein said beam shaping element having a beam shaping portion with a wavy contour that encircles said plurality of feeding points.

9. The antenna of claim 8, wherein said wavy contour is circular and continuous.

10. The antenna of claim 1, wherein said antenna is a vehicle mounted antenna.

11. The antenna of claim 1, wherein said ellipsoidal beam having a width length ratio of at least 2.5:

1.

12. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising a transmitter which generates radiation energy from which said plurality of polarized intermediate transmission signals are originated, said transmitter is located behind said main reflector.

13. The antenna of claim 1, wherein said plurality of waveguides are mounted to traverse said main reflector in a niche located in a lower portion of said main reflector.

14. The antenna of claim 1, wherein said plurality of waveguides are mounted one on top of on another above a common axis which is perpendicular to said main reflector.

15. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising a splitting element which receives a base signal generated by a transmitter and outputs said plurality of signals to said plurality of OMTs.

16. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising a combining element having an output which is connected to a receiver and a plurality of inputs each separately connected to another of said plurality of OMTs.

17. The antenna of claim 16, wherein said combining element receives a plurality of intermediate reception signals from said plurality of OMTs, combines them to a single reception communication signal, and forward said single reception signal to said receiver.

18. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising a splitting element having an input which is connected to a transmitter and a plurality of outputs each separately connected to another of said plurality of OMTs.

19. The antenna of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of waveguides having a bended passage with a bended angle of at least 5 degrees in relation to a central axis of a respective said waveguide.

20. The antenna of claim 1, wherein said beam shaping element comprises a plurality of partly conical structures having a common base that forms a common contour.

21. A method of transmitting a signal to a remote communication system as an ellipsoidal beam, comprising:

splitting a transmission energy to a plurality of transmission signals;

separately polarizing each of said plurality of transmission signals;

separately conducting each of said plurality of polarized transmission signals in one of a plurality of waveguides;

combining said plurality of polarized transmission signals so as to generate an ellipsoidal beam; and

directing said ellipsoidal beam as an ellipsoidal antenna beam toward the remote communication system.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said separately polarizing comprises separately converting a linear polarization of each said transmission signal to a circular polarization such that said plurality of polarized transmission signals are a plurality of circularly polarized transmission signals.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein a first ratio axial ratio defined by first electric field vectors of said ellipsoidal beam and a second ratio axial defined by second electric field vectors of said plurality of polarized intermediate transmission signals is about 1:

1.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein said combining is performed by a common feed horn to which said plurality of waveguides are mechanically connected.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein said directing comprises radiating a first elliptical spot on a sub reflector and redirecting said ellipsoidal beam toward a main reflector so as to create a second elliptical spot on said main reflector.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said first elliptical spot having a width-height ratio of at least 2.5:

1.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein said second elliptical spot having a width-height ratio of at least 3.5:

1.

28-29. -29. (canceled)

30. A beam shaping element for combining a plurality of polarized signals to an elliptical beam, comprising:

a plurality of feeding points, such as apertures, each set to be connected to another of a plurality of waveguides; and

a signal shaping element having a wavy contour for shaping a plurality of communication signals emitted from said plurality of feeding points, such as apertures, to an elliptical beam.