Active transmit phased array antenna

• US 5,283,587 A
• Filed: 11/30/1992
• Issued: 02/01/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Globalstar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Space Systems/Loral Incorporated (Loral Space and Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Matthews, Edgar W. Jr., Hirshfield, Edward, Luh, Howard H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US07/983,123
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 342/372, 342/373, 342/361
• US Class Current: 342/372
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/064 using horn or slot aerials slotted waveguides arrays H01Q21/005
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00

Abstract

An active transmit phased array antenna system for generating multiple independent simultaneous antenna beams to illuminate desired regions while not illuminating other regions. The size shape of the regions is a function of the size and number of elements populating the array and the number of beams is a function of the number of beam forming networks feeding the array. All the elements of the array are operated at the same amplitude level and beam shapes and directions are determined by the phase settings. The active transmit phased array antenna includes a plurality of antenna elements disposed in a hexiform configuration. Each antenna element is identical and includes a radiating horn capable of radiating in each of two orthogonal polarizations. The horn is fed by a multi-pole bandpass filter means whose function is to pass energy in the desired band and reject energy at other frequencies. The filter means is coupled into an air dielectric cavity mounted on substrate. The air dielectric cavity contains highly efficient monolithic amplifiers which excite orthogonal microwave energy in a push-pull configuration by probes in combination with amplifiers placed such that they drive the cavity at relative positions 180 degrees apart. Phase shift means and attenuator means in the substrate are connected to the amplifiers in the cavity to determine beam and direction and for maintaining the signal amplitudes from each of the antenna elements at an equal level.

Claims

1. A phased array transmitting antenna system for generating multiple independent simultaneous microwave signal beams comprising:

a plurality of antenna radiating elements disposed on an array on a substrate, each one of said elements including amplifier means and hybrid coupler disposed in a cavity on said substrate for providing orthogonal microwave energy signals having selected phases, filter means responsive to the microwave output signals of said cavity for passing signals within a selected frequency band;

a radiating horn responsive to said microwave signals passed by said filter means for transmitting said microwave signals as a beam having a direction and shape; and

wherein each of said plurality of said antenna radiating elements transmit one of multiple, simultaneous microwave beams having the same power value and different phase values which determine the shape and transmitted direction of said beams.

2. A phased array transmitting antenna system according to claim 1 wherein said cavity includes a first pair of microwave probes disposed in said cavity 180 degrees apart, a second pair of probes disposed in said cavity 180 degrees apart, said first and second pairs of probes being disposed 90 degrees apart, a first pair of linear amplifiers connected to said first pair of probes and a second pair of linear amplifiers connected to said second pair of probes for exciting orthogonal microwave energy in said cavity.

3. A phased array transmitting antenna system according to claim 2 wherein said substrate includes phase shift means and attenuator means connected to said first and second pairs of amplifier and probes in said cavity for providing phase quadrature signals to create circular signal polarization wherein one of said pairs of amplifier and probes is excited to right circular polarization and the other of said pairs of amplifiers and probes is excited to left circular polarization.

4. A phased array transmitting antenna system according to claim 3 wherein said phase shift and attenuator means includes a plurality of separate phase shift and attenuator circuits, and a switch matrix connected to each of said phase shift and attenuator circuits to selectively connect separate polarization signals to said pairs of amplifiers and probes in said cavity, said separate polarization signals providing the direction and shape of said microwave beam transmitted from said horn.

5. A phased array transmitting antenna system according to claim 4 wherein said attenuator means are set to provide that said microwave beams transmitted from said horns of said plurality of elements are equal in amplitude.

6. A phased array transmitting antenna system according to claim 5 further including a plurality of power signals and wherein said phase shift and attenuator circuits for each antenna element includes a plurality of series connected phase shift and attenuator circuits, each of said plurality of series connected phase shift and attenuator circuits being connected to a separate power signal wherein each of said series connected phase shift and attenuator circuits is associated with a separate beam to be transmitted by said antenna element, and wherein each of said series connected phase shift and attenuator circuits establishes the direction and shape for each associated beam.

7. A phase array transmitting antenna system according to claim 6 further including control means connected to each of said phase shift circuits and attenuator circuits for setting said phase shift circuit for setting said phase shift circuits at selected values to provide desired beam directions and shapes, and for setting said attenuator circuit at selected values wherein all said antenna elements have the same amplitude level.

8. A phase array transmitting antenna system according to claim 7 further including a first and second monolithic microwave integrated circuit amplifiers connected between said hybrid coupler and said switch matrix, said monolithic microwave integrated circuit amplifier being highly linear to maintain said transmitted beams independent of each other to provide for multiple beams to be transmitted simultaneously without interaction.