REDIRECTIVE DUAL ARRAY ANTENNA

• US 3,680,112 A
• Filed: 07/28/1969
• Issued: 07/25/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Richard K. Thomas
• Original Assignee: Richard K. Thomas
• Inventors: Thomas, Richard K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Farley, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Berger, Richard E.
• Application Number:
  US04/845,198
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 343/1.6R 325/9,14
• US Class Current: 342/370
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2605 Array of radiating elements provided with a feedback control over the element weights, e.g. adaptive arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2647 Retrodirective arrays

Abstract

Two circularly symmetrical concentric phase-steerable antenna arrays, scaled 3/2 in proportion to the wavelength at which each is designed to operate, have homologous radiators arranged in rings symmetrical about the common center. The radii of successive rings in a given array are 2.5, 4.75, and 5.75 times the radius of the innermost ring; the angular spacing of the radiators in each ring, beginning with the innermost, is 72*; 24*; 12.4*; and 10.28*. Each receiving radiator is tied to its homologous transmitting radiator through a network which corrects the phase of the received information band by reference to a receiving phase signal transmitted from the transmitting station, then further corrects the phase of the thus corrected information band by reference to a transmitting phase signal transmitted from the receiving station, and converts the thus doubly corrected information band to the transmitting frequency. As a result of the double phase correction, the frequency-converted information band is phase-steered to the receiving station.

Claims

1. A phase-steered relay antenna system comprising:

a. a circularly symmetrical receiving array of a plurality of receiving radiators;

b. a circularly symmetrical transmitting array of a plurality of transmitting radiators, concentric with the receiving array, equal in number to the plurality of receiving radiators, geometrically similar to the receiving array;

each transmitting radiator being the homologue of a receiving radiator and lying on the same radius from the center of symmetry of both arrays as does that receiving radiator;

the ratio of the distance of each transmitting radiator along the said radius from the said center of symmetry to the distance of the receiving radiator homologous to the said transmitting radiator along the said radius from the said center of symmetry being the same as the ratio of the wavelength to be transmitted to the wavelength to be received;

c. a plurality of equipment trains, one such train being connected to each receiving radiator, each such train comprising;

first means to adjust the phase of a received information band signal with respect to the phase of a received receiving phase pilot signal;

second means to adjust the phase of the said received information band signal, adjusted with respect to the phase of the said receiving phase pilot signal, with respect to the phase conjugate of a received transmitting phase pilot signal;

third means to convert the frequency of the said received information band signal to a different frequency for transmission;

fourth means to receive the said received information band signal, after it has been adjusted in phase with respect to the phase of the received receiving phase pilot signal and with respect to the phase of the received transmitting phase pilot signal, and converted in frequency for transmission, and connect it to the transmitting radiator which is the homologue of the said receiving radiator;

in which d. the radiators of a first said circularly symmetrical array are arranged in first concentric rings;

the radiators of a second said circularly symmetrical array are arranged in second concentric rings concentric with the said first concentric rings;

the diameters of the said first concentric rings are proportional to the shorter of the wavelength to be transmitted and the wavelength to be received;

the diameters of the said second concentric rings are proportional to the longer of the wavelength to be transmitted and the wavelength to be received;

e. the diameter of the smallest first concentric ring differs from the diameter of the smallest second concentric ring by the said longer wavelength;

every other first concentric ring has a diameter greater by two said longer wavelengths than the next smaller ring without regard to which array the next smaller ring belongs to;

f. the radiators in a first concentric ring are equally spaced from each other and the spacing between a radiator and its nearest neighbor in the ring is approximately one said longer wavelength;

g. the radiators are unidirectional in gain characteristic, and are arranged with their directions of maximum gain normal to the plane of the ring of which they form a part.