Antenna having elements with programmable digitally generated time delays
First Claim
1. In an antenna array having a plurality of antenna elements, an elemental signal processor for association with one of said antenna elements and for inserting a programmable delay into an information signal passed through said one element, said element signal processor comprising:
- means for providing a digitized waveform corresponding to said information signal, said digitized waveform comprising a sequence of samples exhibiting a predetermined period between adjacent ones of said samples;
means for supplying first and second delay values wherein said first and second delay values together specify a total relative delay to apply to said information signal in said one element;
first means, coupled to said providing means and to said supplying means, for delaying said digitized waveform by a first duration which is responsive to said first delay value, said first duration being substantially an integral number of said predetermined periods; and
second means, coupled to said supplying means, for delaying said digitized waveform by a second duration which is responsive to said second delay value, said second duration being less than said predetermined period.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An array antenna (12) in which dependent programmable and digitally generated time delays are imposed on signals passing through each antenna element (14) is disclosed. A beam steering computer (32) determines data values corresponding to delays needed at each element to form a desired beam angle. These data values are written into digital element signal processors (DESPs) (40) which are associated with each element in one-to-one correspondence. Each DESP (40) includes a waveform generator (30), which produces digitized samples synchronously with a reference clock signal. A stream of the digitized samples passes through and is delayed in a highly precise delay generator (54) before being converted to analog in a D/A converter (60). The analog signal is modulated (62), amplified (66), and then radiated at the associated element (14). Received signals are amplified (70), demodulated (72), converted to digital in an A/D converter (74), and then passed through the same delay generator (54). They are then re-converted to analog (60), modulated (62) back to RF, and combined (50) with other delayed RF signals. The delay generator (50) includes a register file (106) which receives a digitized waveform. A latch (86) receives delay data. The delay data programs a counter (80, 82) to delay the waveform for a variable, integral number of reference clock cycles. The delay data further programs a delay line (88) to impose a further fractional portion of a reference cycle delay on the waveform.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. In an antenna array having a plurality of antenna elements, an elemental signal processor for association with one of said antenna elements and for inserting a programmable delay into an information signal passed through said one element, said element signal processor comprising:
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means for providing a digitized waveform corresponding to said information signal, said digitized waveform comprising a sequence of samples exhibiting a predetermined period between adjacent ones of said samples; means for supplying first and second delay values wherein said first and second delay values together specify a total relative delay to apply to said information signal in said one element; first means, coupled to said providing means and to said supplying means, for delaying said digitized waveform by a first duration which is responsive to said first delay value, said first duration being substantially an integral number of said predetermined periods; and second means, coupled to said supplying means, for delaying said digitized waveform by a second duration which is responsive to said second delay value, said second duration being less than said predetermined period. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An electronically steerable antenna array for passing wideband RF signals without squinting an antenna beam, said array comprising:
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array computing means for specifying a beam angle; array oscillator means for providing timing signals; array transmission signal identifying means; a multiplicity of substantially identical digital elemental signal processors (DESPs), wherein each of said DESPs comprises; means for providing a digitized waveform in response to said transmission signal identifying means, said digitized waveform comprising a sequence of samples exhibiting a predetermined period between adjacent ones of said samples, said predetermined period being responsive to said oscillator means, means for supplying first and second delay values wherein the combination of said first and second delay values specifies a delay to apply to said digitized waveform, and said first and second delay values are responsive to said computing means, first means, coupled to said providing means and to said supplying means, for delaying said digitized waveform by a first duration, said first duration being substantially an integral number of said predetermined periods, second means, coupled to said supplying means, for delaying said digitized waveform by a second duration, said second duration being less than said predetermined period; and a multiplicity of radiating elements, wherein each of said radiating elements couples to a corresponding one of said second delaying means. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for inserting a digitally programmable time delay into an information signal passed through one of a multiplicity of antenna elements in an antenna array to form a squintless electronically steerable antenna array, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a digitized waveform corresponding to said information signal, said digitized waveform comprising a sequence of samples exhibiting a predetermined period between adjacent ones of said samples; receiving first and second delay values, wherein said first and second delay values together specify a delay to apply to said information signal in said one element; delaying said digitized waveform by a first duration which is substantially an integral number of said predetermined periods, said first duration being responsive to said first delay value; and delaying said digitized waveform by a second duration which is less than said predetermine period, said second duration being responsive to said second delay value. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification