Antenna array of radiators with plural orthogonal ports

• US 5,532,706 A
• Filed: 12/05/1994
• Issued: 07/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reinhardt, Victor S., Lane, Steven O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajec, Donald T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ho, Tan
• Application Number:
  US08/349,637
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 343/778, 343/786, 343/754, 343/853, 333/21 A, 333/21 R
• US Class Current: 343/778
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/0258 Orthomode horns orthomode transducers H01P1/161

Abstract

A phased array antenna (10A, 10B, 10C) is constructed of an array of radiators (24), each of which has a radiating aperture, a first port (26) and a second port (26). The first port introduces a first radiation with a first polarization, and the second port introduces a second radiation with a second polarization which is orthogonal to the first polarization. Individual transmitting amplifiers, in the case of a transmitting array, or individual receiving amplifiers (16A), in the case of a receiving array, are connected to the ports of each of the radiators. The amplifiers associated with the first ports of the respective radiators are connected, in turn, to phase shifters (18A) and attenuators (20A) which constitute a first beamformer for forming a set of one or more beams of radiation. The amplifiers (16A) associated with the second ports of the respective radiators are connected, in turn, to phase shifters (18A) and attenuators (20A) which constitute a second beamformer for forming a set of one or more beams of radiation. The two beamformers operate independently of each other so as to permit separately weighted polarization signals of the antenna to be programmed electronically for various polarizations such as right and left circular polarization or horizontal and vertical polarization. Also, the separately polarized waves associated with the first ports and the second ports permit dual polarization frequency reuse transmission.

Claims

1. A phased array antenna comprising:

a plurality of radiators arranged in an array, each of said radiators comprising a first port and a second port and a radiating aperture electromagnetically coupled to said first port and to said second port, said first port introducing a first radiation with a first polarization, said second port introducing a second radiation with a second polarization orthogonal to said first polarization;

first signal means having a first set of branches operatively coupling energy of said first radiation with the respective first ports of said radiators;

second signal means having a second set of branches operatively coupling energy of said second radiation with the respective second ports of said radiators, said second signal means being operative independently of said first signal means; and

beamformer means coupled to said first and said second signal means for forming at least one beam of electromagnetic power from said array of radiators, wherein said beamformer means comprises a first beamformer coupled to the first ports of respective ones of said radiators and a second beamformer coupled to the second ports of respective ones of said radiators, said first beamformer providing a first set of beams and said second beamformer providing a second set of beams independently of said first set of beams, wherein each set of beams comprises at least one beam, and

wherein each of said beamformers comprises a plurality of branches, an individual one of said branches is coupled via a respective one of said signal means to a port of an individual one of said radiators, each of said branches of respective ones of said beamformers is bifurcated into two signal carrying paths to enable operation of said antenna in a mode of frequency reuse, each of said paths of each of said branches having a phase shifter and an attentuator.

2. A phased array antenna comprising:

a plurality of radiators arranged in an array, each of said radiators comprising a first port and a second port and a radiating aperture electromagnetically coupled to said first port and to said second port, said first port introducing a first radiation with a first polarization, said second port introducing a second radiation with a second polarization orthogonal to said first polarization;

first signal means having a first set of branches operatively coupling energy of said first radiation with the respective first ports of said radiators;

second signal means having a second set of branches operatively coupling energy of said second radiation with the respective second ports of said radiators, said second signal means being operative independently of said first signal means; and

beamformer means coupled to said first and said second signal means for forming at least one beam of electromagnetic power from said array of radiators, wherein said beamformer means comprises a first beamformer coupled to the first ports of respective ones of said radiators and a second beamformer coupled to the second ports of respective ones of said radiators, said first beamformer providing a first set of beams and said second beamformer providing a second set of beams independently of said first set of beams, wherein each set of beams comprises at least one beam, and

wherein said beamformer means comprises a plurality of branches with one branch being connected to each of said radiators, each branch comprising a first branch section and a second branch section coupled to said first branch section, said first branch section having a phase shifter and an attenuator, said second branch section being bifurcated into two signal carrying paths connected to respective ones of said ports of an individual one of said radiators, one of said paths providing a direct connection between said signal means to said first branch section and a second of said paths having a phase shifter and an attenuator.