Limited scan array antenna systems with sharp cutoff of element pattern
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An antenna system for radiating wave energy signals into a selected angular region of space and in a desired radiation pattern comprising:
- an aperture comprising a plurality of element groups, each group comprising two or more radiating elements;
a plurality of first coupling means, each for coupling supplied wave energy signals to the elements in a corresponding one of said element groups;
and second coupling means for interconnecting said plurality of first coupling means to cause wave energy signals supplied to any of said first coupling means to be additionally coupled to selected elements in substantially all of the remaining element groups of said aperture with predetermined amplitudes and phases, thereby causing said aperture to radiate wave energy signals primarily in said selected region of space;
whereby when wave energy signals are supplied to each of said first coupling means with a predetermined amplitude and phase, said aperture will radiate wave energy signals in said desired radiation pattern.
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Abstract
Disclosed are array antenna systems wherein the effective element pattern is modified by means of coupling circuits to closely conform to the ideal element pattern required for radiating the antenna beam within a selected angular region of space. Use of the coupling circuits in the embodiment of a scanning beam antenna significantly reduces the number of phase shifters required as compared to prior art array antennas.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. An antenna system for radiating wave energy signals into a selected angular region of space and in a desired radiation pattern comprising:
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an aperture comprising a plurality of element groups, each group comprising two or more radiating elements; a plurality of first coupling means, each for coupling supplied wave energy signals to the elements in a corresponding one of said element groups; and second coupling means for interconnecting said plurality of first coupling means to cause wave energy signals supplied to any of said first coupling means to be additionally coupled to selected elements in substantially all of the remaining element groups of said aperture with predetermined amplitudes and phases, thereby causing said aperture to radiate wave energy signals primarily in said selected region of space; whereby when wave energy signals are supplied to each of said first coupling means with a predetermined amplitude and phase, said aperture will radiate wave energy signals in said desired radiation pattern. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An antenna system for radiating wave energy signals primarily in a selected angular region of space and in a desired radiation pattern comprising:
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an aperture comprising an array of element groups, each group comprising first and second element modules and each module comprising one or more radiating elements; a plurality of first coupling means, each corresponding to an element group for coupling supplied wave energy signals to the elements in substantially all of said corresponding first and second element modules, and each including a power divider having first and second outputs; and second coupling means, including a first transmission line coupled to the first output of each of said power dividers and a second transmission line coupled to the second output of each of said power dividers, for coupling wave energy signals supplied to any of said first coupling means to selected elements in the remaining element groups of said aperture with predetermined amplitudes and phases, thereby causing said aperture to radiate wave energy signals primarily in said selected region of space; whereby when wave energy signals are supplied to each of said first coupling means with a predetermined amplitude and phase, said aperture will radiate wave energy signals in said desired radiation pattern. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An antenna system for radiating wave energy signals in a selected angular region of space and in a desired radiation pattern comprising:
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an aperture comprising a linear array of equally spaced antenna elements divided into a plurality of element groups, each group comprising first and second adjacent element modules and each module comprising one or more adjacent radiating elements, all of said modules having the same number of radiating elements; a number of first coupling means, equal to the number of said element groups and each including a power divider having first and second outputs, for coupling supplied wave energy signals to the elements in corresponding first and second element modules; and second coupling means, including a first transmission line coupled to the first output of each of said power dividers and a second transmission line coupled to the second output of each of said power dividers, for coupling wave energy signals supplied to any of said first coupling means to selected elements in the remaining element groups of said aperture with predetermined amplitudes and phases, whereby wave energy signals supplied to any of said first coupling means are coupled to the elements in said linear array with an approximately sin Kx/Kx amplitude distribution, where x is the linear distance along said aperture and K is a selected constant, and with an approximately linear phase distribution, thereby causing said aperture to radiate wave energy signals with substantially uniform amplitude primarily in said selected region of space; whereby when wave energy signals are supplied to each of said first coupling means with a predetermined amplitude and phase, said aperture will radiate wave energy signals in said desired radiation pattern. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. An antenna system for radiating wave energy signals in a selected angular region of space and in a desired radiation pattern comprising:
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an aperture comprising an array of element groups, each group comprising first and second element modules and each module comprising one or more radiating elements; a plurality of first coupling means, each for coupling supplied wave energy signals to the elements in a corresponding element group, each of said first coupling means including a power divider having first and second outputs, corresponding to said first and second element modules, and first and second power combiners for combining supplied wave energy signals and coupling said signals to the elements in said first and second modules, respectively, each of said power combiners having a pair of inputs, one of which is coupled to one of the outputs of said power divider; and second coupling means, including a first transmission line coupled to the first output of each of said power dividers in said first coupling means and coupled to a selected one of the input ports of each of said power combiners, and a second transmission line coupled to the second output of each of said power dividers in said first coupling means and coupled to the remaining input port of each of said power combiners, for coupling wave energy signals supplied to any of said first coupling means to selected elements in the remaining element groups of said aperture with predetermined amplitudes and phases, thereby causing said aperture to radiate wave energy signals primarily in said selected region of space; whereby when wave energy signals are supplied to each of said first coupling means with a predetermined amplitude and phase, said aperture will radiate wave energy signals in said desired radiation pattern. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. An antenna system for radiating wave energy signals into a selected angular region of space and in a desired radiation pattern comprising:
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an aperture comprising a plurality of columns of radiating elements arranged along a predetermined path, each column comprising one or more radiating elements and means for coupling wave energy signals to said elements, said columns being arranged in column groups, each group comprising two or more columns of radiating elements; a plurality of first coupling means, each for coupling supplied wave energy signals to the columns in a corresponding one of said column groups; second coupling means for interconnecting said plurality of first coupling means to cause wave energy signals supplied to any of said first coupling means to be additionally coupled to selected columns in substantially all of the remaining column groups of said aperture with predetermined amplitudes and phases, thereby causing said aperture to radiate wave energy signals primarily in said selected region of space; whereby when wave energy signals are supplied to each of said first coupling means with a predetermined amplitude and phase, said aperture will radiate wave energy signals in said desired radiation pattern. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An antenna system for radiating wave energy signals into a selected angular region of space and in a desired radiation pattern, comprising:
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an array comprising a plurality of column groups, each column group comprising two or more array columns, each array column comprising; an aperture comprising a plurality of element groups, each group comprising two or more radiating elements; a plurality of first coupling means, each for coupling supplied wave energy signals to the elements in a corresponding element group; second coupling means for interconnecting said plurality of first coupling means to cause wave energy signals supplied to any of said first coupling means to be additionally coupled to selected elements in substantially all of the remaining element groups of said aperture with predetermined amplitudes and phases; a plurality of third coupling means, each for coupling supplied wave energy signals to selected ones of said first coupling means in array columns within a column group; and a plurality of fourth coupling means each for interconnecting selected ones of said third coupling means to cause wave energy signals supplied to any of said third coupling means to be additionally coupled to selected ones of said first coupling means in substantially all of the remaining column groups of said array with predetermined amplitudes and phases, thereby causing said apertures to radiate wave energy signals primarily in said selected region of space; whereby when wave energy signals are supplied to each of said third coupling means with a predetermined amplitude and phase, said aperture will radiate wave energy signals in said desired radiation pattern. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification