Energy receiving satellite

• US 5,570,102 A
• Filed: 12/29/1995
• Issued: 10/29/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IHI Aerospace Company Limited (IHI Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Nobuyuki Kaya
• Inventors: Kaya, Nobuyuki, Fujiwara, Teruo, Yashiro, Hiroyuki, Yasui, Hidemi, Kochiyama, Jiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajec, Donald T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wigmore, Steven
• Application Number:
  US08/580,776
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: 343/705, 343/706, 343/709, 343/872, 343/873, 343/878, 343/880, 343/881, 343/DIG. 2
• US Class Current: 343/880
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/248 provided with an AC/DC converting device, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/288 Satellite antennas
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 343/02 Satellite-mounted antenna

Abstract

An energy receiving satellite has a curved outer surface on which a plurality of energy signal reception antenna elements are arranged. The satellite may also include a pilot signal generator and a plurality of pilot signal transmission antennas arranged at intervals around the curved outer surface of the satellite. The curved surface is composed of a plurality of curved panels which may be folded in an overlapping condition or unfolded such that the panels are disposed adjacently in a circular arrangement.

Claims

1. An energy receiving apparatus receivable of an energy signal from an energy transmission apparatus at a remote location, comprising:

a central compartment;

a plurality of movably mounted panels contoured as uniformly sized, longitudinally extending, partial sphere segments;

energy signal receiving means including an arrangement of reception antenna elements respectively disposed on an outer surface of each of said panels; and

support means attached to an outer side of said central compartment and including extending portions respectively attached to an inner side of each of said panels, said support means enabling movement of said panels commonly around a central longitudinal axis at least between;

a first position, wherein each longitudinal edge of each panel fully contacts a longitudinal edge of an adjacent panel so as to collectively define a substantially spherical satellite body enclosing said compartment; and

a second position wherein inner and outer surfaces of said plurality of panels are overlapped at one side of said compartment.

2. An energy receiving apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further including pilot signal generating means and pilot signal transmission means disposed on each panel.

3. An energy receiving apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said pilot signal transmission means comprises a plurality of pilot signal transmission antennas arranged at intervals on each of said panels so as to extend around said spherical satellite body when said panels are disposed at said first position.

4. A satellite structure as set forth in claim 1, further including servo means for automatically effecting movement of said panels between said first and second positions.

5. A satellite structure as set forth in claim 1, further including an energy receiving portion associated with each of said antenna elements and including a plurality of input filters respectively connected to one of said antenna elements, each input filter also being connected to a corresponding plurality of rectifiers, each of which is connected to a respective output filter, the outputs thereof being connected in series.

6. A satellite structure as set forth in claim 1, further including a transmission portion including a plurality of transmission antenna elements disposed on said outer surfaces of said panels, each of said transmission antenna elements respectively coupled with one of a corresponding plurality of signal transmission devices, said signal transmission devices being collectively connected to a controller such that a signal generated at said controller is emitted from each of the antenna elements via the transmission device.