Spacecraft antenna pattern control system
First Claim
1. A system for controlling a radiation pattern of an antenna array of a plurality of elements, all carried on a spacecraft, to provide and maintain a desired pattern over a preselected area remote from said spacecraft, without physical movement of the array with respect to the spacecraft even if the spacecraft is physically reoriented with respect to the remote area, comprising:
- means carried on said spacecraft for sensing spacecraft reorientation relative to the preselected area, to provide at least one error signal responsive to any sensed reorientation;
means for inertialessly reconfigurating the array radiation pattern responsive to a set of directional pointing data; and
local loop means for providing said directional pointing data so as to minimize the at least one error signal from said sensing means to cause said array radiation pattern to remain substantially fixed on the remote area even if said spacecraft is reoriented.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for controlling a radiation pattern of an antenna array carried on a spacecraft, to provide and maintain a desired pattern over a preselected area remote from the spacecraft, without physical movement of the array with respect to the spacecraft even if the spacecraft is physically reoriented with respect to the remote earth area, uses sensors, carried on the spacecraft, for determining spacecraft reorientation relative to the preselected earth area, so as to provide at least one error signal responsive to any spacecraft reorientation; a phased-array antenna system, inertialessly reconfigures the array radiation pattern responsive to a set of directional pointing data; a loop provides the directional pointing data in a manner serving to minimize the error signals from the sensing means and thus cause the antenna radiation pattern to remain substantially fixed on the remote earth area even if the spacecraft is reoriented.
-
Citations
10 Claims
-
1. A system for controlling a radiation pattern of an antenna array of a plurality of elements, all carried on a spacecraft, to provide and maintain a desired pattern over a preselected area remote from said spacecraft, without physical movement of the array with respect to the spacecraft even if the spacecraft is physically reoriented with respect to the remote area, comprising:
-
means carried on said spacecraft for sensing spacecraft reorientation relative to the preselected area, to provide at least one error signal responsive to any sensed reorientation; means for inertialessly reconfigurating the array radiation pattern responsive to a set of directional pointing data; and local loop means for providing said directional pointing data so as to minimize the at least one error signal from said sensing means to cause said array radiation pattern to remain substantially fixed on the remote area even if said spacecraft is reoriented. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
Specification