Multiple beam antenna and beamforming network

• US 5,909,191 A
• Filed: 10/01/1997
• Issued: 06/01/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Space Systems/Loral Incorporated (Loral Space and Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Space Systems/Loral Incorporated (Loral Space and Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cohen, George S., Nygren, Evert C., Balderrama, Ernesto A., Hirshfield, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US08/942,704
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 342/173, 342/174, 342/372
• US Class Current: 342/174
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2611 Means for null steering; Adaptive interference nulling
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/267 Phased-array testing or checking devices

Abstract

An antenna element and beamforming network (10) preferably comprises a plurality of radiators (12), a plurality of band pass filters (14) and a plurality of test couplers (16). Each radiator (12) is coupled to a dedicated MMIC (18). The output of MMICs (18) are coupled to a power stripline combiner (20) to provide a single output. Each of MMICs (18) is independently controllable to shape the antenna beams as desired for producing nulls in pattern coverage. The output of stripline combiner (20) may also be coupled through an output test coupler (46) to a jammer detector and correlator (24). In one embodiment, radiators (12) are horns that include filters (14). The output of each horn is coupled to the input of its dedicated MMIC (18). In another embodiment, radiators (12) are a patch array coupled together by a stripline combiner. The output of the stripline combiner is coupled by band pass filter (14) to the input of the respective MMICs (18). The present invention integrates these components into a single package with reduced size and weight.

Claims

1. An antenna element and beamforming network comprising:

a radiator for transmitting and receiving microwave signals;

a filter having a first end and an output, the first end of said filter coupled to the radiator;

an integrated circuit having a signal input, a control input, and an output, said integrated circuit amplifying, frequency converting, phase shifting, and attenuating an input signal in response to a control signal, the signal input of the integrated circuit coupled to the output of the filter;

a combiner having a plurality of inputs and an output for producing a single signal from a plurality of input signals received, one of the plurality of inputs coupled to the output of the integrated circuit;

a detector and correlator for comparing the output of the combiner to the output of the filter, said detector and correlator coupled to the output of the combiner and the output of the filter; and

a calibration circuit having first, second and third inputs and an output, the first input coupled by a test coupler to the output of the filter, the second input coupled to receive control signals, and the third input coupled to receive a test signal, the output of the calibration circuit coupled to the detector and correlator.

2. An antenna element and beamforming network comprising:

a plurality of radiators for transmitting and receiving microwave signals;

a plurality of filters each having a first end and an output, each of said plurality of filters having its first end coupled to a respective radiator;

a plurality of integrated circuits each having a signal input, a control input, and an output, each of said plurality of integrated circuits amplifying, frequency converting, phase shifting, and attenuating a signal in response to a control signal, each of the integrated circuits having its signal input coupled to the output of a respective one of said plurality of filters;

a combiner having a plurality of inputs and an output, each of the inputs of said combiner coupled to the output of one of the plurality of integrated circuits, said combiner producing a single output signal from the plurality of radiators'"'"' signals; and

a detector and correlator for comparing the output of the combiner with a signal associated with each radiator, said detector and correlator coupled to the output of the combiner and to the output of a filter.

6. The antenna element of claim 2, wherein the plurality of filters are band pass filters composed of high dielectric and high "Q" resonators.

7. The antenna element of claim 2, wherein the plurality of integrated circuits are monolithic microwave circuits.

8. The antenna element of claim 7, wherein each integrated circuit may be independently controlled by said control inputs to provide amplification, frequency conversion, phase shifting and attenuation of the signal input.

3. An antenna element and beamforming network comprising:

a plurality of radiators for transmitting and receiving microwave signals;

a plurality of filters each having a first end and an output, each of said plurality of filters having its first end coupled to a respective radiator;

a plurality of integrated circuits each having a signal input, a control input, and an output, each of said plurality of integrated circuits amplifying, frequency converting, phase shifting, and attenuating a signal in response to a control signal, each of the integrated circuits having its signal input coupled to the output of a respective one of said plurality of filters;

a combiner having a plurality of inputs and an output, each of the inputs of said combiner coupled to the output of one of the plurality of integrated circuits, said combiner producing a single output signal from the plurality of radiators'"'"' signals; and

a plurality of filters each having an input and an output, said plurality of filters positioned in respective ones of said plurality of feed elements with the inputs of respective filters coupled to the feed elements;

a plurality of integrated circuits each having a signal input, a control input and a signal output, each of said plurality of integrated circuits amplifying, frequency converting, phase shifting and attenuating a signal in response to control signals received at said control input, the signal input of each integrated circuit coupled to the output of a respective filter;

a test switch having a plurality of signal inputs, a control input and a signal output;

a plurality of test couplers each coupling the output of one filter to one signal input of the test switch;

a calibration circuit having a signal input, a control input and an output, the signal input of the calibration circuit coupled to the signal output of the test switch and the control input of the calibration circuit coupled to receive control signals;

a combiner circuit having a plurality of inputs and an output, each of the inputs of said combiner circuit coupled to the signal output of one of said plurality of integrated circuits, said combiner circuit producing an output signal from the plurality of signal outputs of the integrated circuits; and

a detector and correlator having a first input, a second input and control inputs for comparing the output of the combiner circuit to signals produced by the feed elements, the first input of the detector and correlator coupled to the output of the calibration circuit and the second input of the detector and correlator coupled to the output of the combiner circuit.

4. The antenna element of claim 3, wherein the calibration circuit further comprises a 64 to 1 test switch, a calibration switch and a calibration signal generator.

5. The antenna element of claim 3, wherein the test couplers detect signal levels at the filter outputs and are Lange couplers.

9. The antenna element of claim 3, wherein the plurality of integrated circuits, the plurality of filters and the combiner are integrated into a single package of multi-layer copper plated circuit card and monolithic microwave integrated circuits.

10. A antenna element and beamforming network comprising:

a plurality of feed elements;

a plurality of filters each having an input and an output, said plurality of filters positioned in a respective one of said plurality of feed elements with the input of respective filter coupled to the feed element;

a plurality of integrated circuits each having a signal input, a control input and a signal output, said plurality of integrated circuits amplifying, frequency converting, phase shifting and attenuating a signal in response to control signals received at said control input, the signal input of each integrated circuit coupled to the output of a respective filter;

a test switch having a plurality of signal inputs, a control input and a signal output;

a plurality of test couplers each coupling the output of one respective filter to one signal input of the test switch;

a calibration circuit having a signal input, a control input and an output, the signal input coupled to the signal output of the test switch and the control input coupled to receive control signals;

a combiner circuit having a plurality of inputs and an output, each of the inputs of said combiner coupled to the signal output of one of said plurality of integrated circuits, said combiner producing an output signal from the plurality of signals received; and

a detector and correlator having a first input, a second input and control inputs for comparing the output of the combiner to signals produced by the radiators, the first input coupled to the output of the calibration circuit and the second input coupled to the output of the combiner.

11. The antenna element and beamforming network of claim 10, wherein said plurality of integrated circuits are a plurality of monolithic microwave integrated circuits.