Spacecraft antennas and beam steering methods for satellite communciation system
First Claim
1. A deployable, folding satellite antenna panel apparatus capable of being carried aboard a launch vehicle stowage container, said stowage container having a diameter (D) and a depth (H), said deployable, folding satellite antenna panel apparatus comprising:
- a central plate (39) having a polygon shape having n sides (SD), n being an integer divisible by 2, and a center (C);
said central plate (39) having a first adjacent side (S1) and a second adjacent side (S2) with reference to each one of said n sides (SD);
said central plate (39) having an obverse side (O) and a reverse side (R) and having a planform, peripheral outline determined by inscribing said polygon shape within said stowage container diameter (D); and
a plurality of articulated arms (40) having a plurality of non-reflecting, structural support panels (41) for actively transmitting and receiving radio signals;
said non-reflecting, structural support panels (41) being stowed in layers in an accordion fold, upon said central plate (39), each one of said plurality of non-reflecting, structural support panels (41) having a hinge (43) along an edge by which each of said plurality of non-reflecting, structural support panels (41) is joined to another and to said central plate (39), each of said plurality of non-reflecting, structural support panels (41) having a thickness (t) and having a plurality of devices disposed thereon, including a plurality of discrete antennas (32);
said articulated arms (40) being the same in number as the number of said n sides (SD);
each one of said articulated arms (40) being separately deployable in a radial direction from said center (C);
said plurality of articulated arms (40) when positioned by rotation about said hinge (43) into said accordion fold, being stowed on both said obverse side (O) and said reverse side (R) of said central plate (39) in an absolute minimum axial distance (d) determined only by the aggregate of said thickness (t), which maximizes surface area of said plurality of panels (41) for a given satellite weight and said launch vehicle stowage container diameter (D) and depth (H).
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Accused Products
Abstract
An advanced active element phased array satellite antenna is disclosed. Incorporating these novel antenna systems on a constellation of low Earth orbit spacecraft, allows phone customers worldwide to communicate through a system whose switching intelligence resides on orbit, bypassing traditional land-based networks, and offering a revolutionary expansion of communications potential. The present invention utilizes electronic beam steering is utilized to provide extremely high gain signals. In one preferred embodiment, a satellite (S) includes an Earth-facing array (10) of hexagonal antenna facets (12), mated together along their sides to form a slightly flattened, hemispherical shell. The antenna array (10) is connected to two rectilinear, unfurled, solar panels (P). The antennas (10) transmit and receive signals from terrestrial units located within the footprints (14) of the beams (11). Another embodiment (34) uses deployable, folding panels (41) which maximize panel surface area for a given weight and launch vehicle container volume. The panels (41) are stacked upon a central plate (39) along the depth axis of the container in accordion fold layers and are separately deployed radially from the center (C) of the central plate (39). The contour of the deployed panels permit the antenna beam footprints (14) to cover the desired area.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A deployable, folding satellite antenna panel apparatus capable of being carried aboard a launch vehicle stowage container, said stowage container having a diameter (D) and a depth (H), said deployable, folding satellite antenna panel apparatus comprising:
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a central plate (39) having a polygon shape having n sides (SD), n being an integer divisible by 2, and a center (C);
said central plate (39) having a first adjacent side (S1) and a second adjacent side (S2) with reference to each one of said n sides (SD);
said central plate (39) having an obverse side (O) and a reverse side (R) and having a planform, peripheral outline determined by inscribing said polygon shape within said stowage container diameter (D); anda plurality of articulated arms (40) having a plurality of non-reflecting, structural support panels (41) for actively transmitting and receiving radio signals;
said non-reflecting, structural support panels (41) being stowed in layers in an accordion fold, upon said central plate (39), each one of said plurality of non-reflecting, structural support panels (41) having a hinge (43) along an edge by which each of said plurality of non-reflecting, structural support panels (41) is joined to another and to said central plate (39), each of said plurality of non-reflecting, structural support panels (41) having a thickness (t) and having a plurality of devices disposed thereon, including a plurality of discrete antennas (32);said articulated arms (40) being the same in number as the number of said n sides (SD);
each one of said articulated arms (40) being separately deployable in a radial direction from said center (C);said plurality of articulated arms (40) when positioned by rotation about said hinge (43) into said accordion fold, being stowed on both said obverse side (O) and said reverse side (R) of said central plate (39) in an absolute minimum axial distance (d) determined only by the aggregate of said thickness (t), which maximizes surface area of said plurality of panels (41) for a given satellite weight and said launch vehicle stowage container diameter (D) and depth (H). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of constructing deployable, folding satellite antenna panels, capable of being carried aboard a launch vehicle stowage container, said stowage container having a diameter (D) and a depth (H), comprising the steps of:
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providing a central plate (39), said central plate (39) having a polygon shape having n sides (SD), n being an integer divisible by two, and a center (C); said central plate (39) having a first adjacent side (S1) and a second adjacent side (S2) with reference to each one of said n sides (SD); said central plate (39) having an obverse side (O) and a reverse side (R) and having a planform, peripheral outline determined by inscribing said polygon shape within said stowage container diameter (D); providing a plurality of articulated arms (40) joined to said central plate (39), the number of said articulated arms (40) being the same as the number of said n sides (SD) of said central plate (39); each of said plurality of articulated arms (40) having a plurality of non-reflecting, structural support panels (41) for actively transmitting and receiving radio signals, each of said non-reflecting, structural support panels (41) having a thickness (t) and a hinge (43) along an edge by which each of said plurality of non-reflecting, structural support panels (41) is joined to another and to said central plate (39); each of said non-reflecting, structural support panels (41) having disposed thereon a plurality of discrete antennas (32); stowing upon both said obverse side (O) and said reverse side (R) of said central plate (39) in an absolute minimum axial distance (d) determined only by the aggregate of said thickness (t), said plurality of articulated arms (40), in layers in an accordion fold; and separately deploying each one of said articulated arms (40) in a radial direction from said center (C); said method of stowing maximizing surface area of said plurality of panels (41) for a given satellite weight and said launch vehicle stowage container diameter (D) and depth (H).
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Specification