Tracking system with beam switching antenna
First Claim
1. In a tracking system for tracking an electromagnetic energy source which comprises an antenna for receiving the electromagnetic energy, receiver means coupled with the antenna through feeding means for producing a signal of the electromagnetic energy received by the antenna as a receive signal, and moving means for mechanically and angularly moving the antenna so as to point the antenna to the electromagnetic energy source to thereby maximize the receive signal strength, the improvement which comprises:
- said antenna being a radiator having an antenna beam which is changeable in direction in response to variation of an electric characteristic in said feeding means;
selection signal generating means for producing a first and a second selection signal alternately;
said feeding means comprising electric variable means which is variable in impedance as the electric characteristic from one to another of a first and a second value, said antenna beam being directed in a first direction when said electric variable means has said first value, said antenna beam being directed in a second direction when said electric variable means has said second value, said first and said second directions having a predetermined small angular difference, said electric variable means having said first and said second values alternately in response to said first and said second selection signals alternately produced to thereby switch said antenna beam from one to the other of said first and said second directions;
detection means coupled with said receiver means for detecting said received signal to produce a detected signal;
processing means coupled with said detection means for deciding the detected signal strength before and after switching of said antenna beam to produce an error signal; and
said moving means coupled with said processing means and responsive to said error signal for mechanically and angularly moving said antenna to thereby reduce said error signal.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a tracking system for a stationary satellite, a phased array is used for an antenna mounted on an automobile. The phased array antenna has a sharp beam which is switched between two different directions in azimuth. The antenna beam is switched between the two directions periodically by control of phase constants in a feeding circuit of the antenna and comparison is made in strength between signals received before and after the beam switching to obtain an error signal as an azimuth error signal. Then, the antenna is mechanically moved in azimuth according to the azimuth error signal until the azimuth error signal becomes zero. In a case the antenna beam is also switched between two directions in elevation, the antenna beam is switched in elevation during an interval between successive two times of the beam switching operation in azimuth and detects a difference in strength of signals received before and after the switching in elevation to thereby produce the difference as an elevation error signal. The antenna is mechanically moved in elevation according to the elevation error signal until the elevation error signal becomes zero.
-
Citations
12 Claims
-
1. In a tracking system for tracking an electromagnetic energy source which comprises an antenna for receiving the electromagnetic energy, receiver means coupled with the antenna through feeding means for producing a signal of the electromagnetic energy received by the antenna as a receive signal, and moving means for mechanically and angularly moving the antenna so as to point the antenna to the electromagnetic energy source to thereby maximize the receive signal strength, the improvement which comprises:
-
said antenna being a radiator having an antenna beam which is changeable in direction in response to variation of an electric characteristic in said feeding means; selection signal generating means for producing a first and a second selection signal alternately; said feeding means comprising electric variable means which is variable in impedance as the electric characteristic from one to another of a first and a second value, said antenna beam being directed in a first direction when said electric variable means has said first value, said antenna beam being directed in a second direction when said electric variable means has said second value, said first and said second directions having a predetermined small angular difference, said electric variable means having said first and said second values alternately in response to said first and said second selection signals alternately produced to thereby switch said antenna beam from one to the other of said first and said second directions; detection means coupled with said receiver means for detecting said received signal to produce a detected signal; processing means coupled with said detection means for deciding the detected signal strength before and after switching of said antenna beam to produce an error signal; and said moving means coupled with said processing means and responsive to said error signal for mechanically and angularly moving said antenna to thereby reduce said error signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. In a tracking system for tracking an electromagnetic energy source which comprises an antenna for receiving the electromagnetic energy, receiver means coupled with the antenna through feeding means for producing a signal of the electromagnetic energy received by the antenna as a receive signal, and first and second moving means for mechanically and angularly moving the antenna in azimuth and elevation, respectively, so as to point the antenna to the electromagnetic energy source to thereby maximize the receive signal strength, the improvement which comprises:
-
said antenna being a radiator having an antenna beam which is changeable in direction in response to variation of an electric characteristic in said feeding means; selection signal generating means for producing a first, a second, a third, and a fourth selection signal alternately; said feeding means comprising electric variable means which is variable in impedance as the electric characteristic from one to another of a first, a second, a third, and a fourth value, said antenna beam being directed in a first direction when said electric variable means has said first value, said antenna beam being directed in a second direction when said electric variable means has said second value, said first and said second directions having a predetermined small angular difference in azimuth, said antenna beam being directed in a third direction when said electric variable means has said third value, said antenna beam being directed in a fourth direction when said electric variable means has said fourth value, said third and said fourth directions having a predetermined small angular difference in elevation, said electric variable means having said first, said second, said third, and said fourth values alternatingly in response to said first, said second, said third, and said fourth selection signals alternatingly produced to thereby switch said antenna beam from one to another of said first, said second, said third, and said fourth directions; detection means coupled with said receiver means for detecting said receive signal to produce a detected signal; processing means coupled with said detection means for deciding the detected signal strength before and after switching of said antenna beam to produce an azimuth error signal and an elevation error signal; said first moving means coupled with said processing means and responsive to said azimuth error signal for mechanically and angularly moving said antenna is azimuth to thereby reduce said azimuth error signal; and said second moving means coupled with said processing means and responsive to said elevation error signal for mechanically and angularly moving said antenna in elevation to thereby reduce said elevation error signal. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
-
Specification