Low-cost communication phased-array antenna
First Claim
1. A phased-array antenna structure comprising:
- an antenna waveguide structure including a plurality of waveguides, said antenna waveguide structure being configured to propagate electromagnetic (EM) signals within said plurality of waveguides;
a plurality of electronic modules, each electronic module of said plurality of electronic modules being coupled to a corresponding waveguide of said plurality of waveguides of said antenna waveguide structure, wherein each electronic module of said plurality of electronic modules is configured to adjust a phase of an EM signal received by the electronic module; and
a multilayer wiring board discrete from and coupled to said plurality of electronic modules, said multilayer wiring board including EM signal propagation paths intercoupled between said plurality of electronic modules, wherein said EM signal propagation paths are configured to propagate a signal corresponding to an EM signal propagated in a waveguide of said plurality of waveguides of said antenna waveguide structure.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A phased-array antenna structure is provided that includes an antenna waveguide structure with a plurality of waveguides. The antenna waveguide structure propagates the received or transmitted electromagnetic (EM) signals within the plurality of waveguides to a corresponding active array module. Each active array module amplifies and adjusts the phase of a received or transmitted EM signal. The active array modules are coupled to an interconnect structure that provides EM signal propagation paths, as well as power and digital signal paths, to and from the active array modules. A plate is coupled to the interconnect structure and the antenna waveguide structure to support the antenna waveguide structure, the electronic modules, and the interconnect structure, thereby forming a rigid unit and keeping the electronic modules in alignment with their corresponding waveguides in the antenna waveguide structure. The plate also includes waveguides for propagating the EM signals from the interconnect structure to the antenna output. The active array modules each include an integrated polarizer for selectably operating with either right-hand circularly polarized signals or left-hand polarized signals. The polarizer, amplifiers and phase shifters are mounted on a substrate in each active array module, with the substrate disposed in a position normal to the propagation of the EM signals in the corresponding waveguide of the antenna waveguide structure, resulting in a planar configuration. Further, each active array module includes a waveguide as an integral part of the active array module.
159 Citations
57 Claims
-
1. A phased-array antenna structure comprising:
-
an antenna waveguide structure including a plurality of waveguides, said antenna waveguide structure being configured to propagate electromagnetic (EM) signals within said plurality of waveguides; a plurality of electronic modules, each electronic module of said plurality of electronic modules being coupled to a corresponding waveguide of said plurality of waveguides of said antenna waveguide structure, wherein each electronic module of said plurality of electronic modules is configured to adjust a phase of an EM signal received by the electronic module; and a multilayer wiring board discrete from and coupled to said plurality of electronic modules, said multilayer wiring board including EM signal propagation paths intercoupled between said plurality of electronic modules, wherein said EM signal propagation paths are configured to propagate a signal corresponding to an EM signal propagated in a waveguide of said plurality of waveguides of said antenna waveguide structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A phased-array antenna structure comprising:
-
an antenna waveguide structure including a plurality of waveguides, said antenna waveguide structure being capable of propagating electromagnetic (EM) signals within said plurality of waveguides; a plurality of electronic modules, each electronic module of said plurality of electronic modules being in operative position with a corresponding waveguide of said plurality of waveguides of said antenna waveguide structure, wherein each electronic module of said plurality of electronic modules comprises, a first EM signal probe; a second EM signal probe; a first amplifier coupled to said first EM signal probe; a second amplifier coupled to said second EM signal probe; and a phase shifter coupled to said first amplifier; and an interconnect structure coupled to said plurality of electronic modules, wherein said interconnect structure includes conductive paths configured to provide power and control signals to said plurality of electronic modules and conductive paths coupled between electronic modules of said plurality of electronic modules and configured to propagate EM signals corresponding to EM signals that are propagated in waveguides of said antenna waveguide structure. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
-
-
42. An individual electronic module for use in an active phased-array antenna, said individual module comprising:
-
a waveguide having a discrete wave receiving passage; a first electromagnetic (EM) signal probe disposed within said waveguide passage; a second EM signal probe disposed within the same waveguide passage as said first EM signal probe; a first amplifier coupled to said first EM signal probe; a second amplifier, separate from said first amplifier, coupled to said second EM signal probe; and a phase shifter coupled to said first amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
-
-
51. A phased-array antenna structure comprising:
-
an antenna waveguide structure including a first waveguide and a second waveguide, said antenna structure capable of propagating electromagnetic (EM) signals within said first waveguide and said second waveguide; a first electronic module coupled to said first waveguide of said antenna waveguide structure, wherein said first electronic module is configured to adjust a phase of a first EM signal that is received from said first waveguide of said antenna waveguide structure; a second electronic module coupled to said second waveguide of said antenna waveguide structure, wherein said second electronic module is configured to adjust a phase of a second EM signal that is received from said second waveguide of said antenna waveguide structure; and a multilayer wiring board coupled to said first electronic module and said second electronic module, said multilayer wiring board including a first EM signal propagation path coupled to said first electronic module and a second EM signal propagation path, said second EM propagation path being coupled to said second electronic module, wherein said first EM signal propagation path is capable of propagating a first signal corresponding to said first EM signal propagated in said first waveguide of said antenna waveguide structure and wherein said second EM signal propagation path is capable of propagating a second signal corresponding to said second EM signal propagated in said second waveguide of said antenna waveguide structure. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
-
Specification