Semiconductor antenna array and solar energy collection array assembly for spacecraft
First Claim
1. A method for use of a photonically-activatable, semiconductor antenna array mounted on a spacecraft, comprising the steps of:
- positioning said antenna array to receive photonic solar energy, wherein said antenna array includes a plurality of photonically-activatable, semiconductor elements;
receiving photonic solar energy on said antenna array, wherein said received solar photonic energy increases the electrical conductivity of and thereby activates said elements in said antenna array, said activated elements thereby being operable for at least one of transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals; and
operating said antenna array for at least one of transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals during said step of receiving photonic solar energy.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A semiconductor array assembly comprises an antenna array portion including a plurality of photonically-activatable semiconductor elements. The array assembly may also include a solar energy collection array portion having a plurality of photovoltaic cells. The two arrays may be supportably positioned on opposing sides of a common support structure (e.g. a dielectric substrate). An activation arrangement is provided to transmit photonic energy from an external source, such as solar radiation from the sun, received on a back side of the assembly to photonically-activatable elements to increase their electrical conductivity and thereby activate them for transmission and/or reception of electromagnetic signals. The activation arrangement may also feed photonic energy from an internal photonic energy source, such as laser diodes, through optical fibers to activate the photonically-activatable elements. A method of operating a solar-activated, antenna assembly involves positioning an array of photonically-activatable elements to receive photonic solar energy. The photonic energy activates the antenna array elements for operation. As such, while photonic energy is being received, the array of photoconductive semiconductor elements may be operated for transmitting and/or receiving electromagnetic signals.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for use of a photonically-activatable, semiconductor antenna array mounted on a spacecraft, comprising the steps of:
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positioning said antenna array to receive photonic solar energy, wherein said antenna array includes a plurality of photonically-activatable, semiconductor elements; receiving photonic solar energy on said antenna array, wherein said received solar photonic energy increases the electrical conductivity of and thereby activates said elements in said antenna array, said activated elements thereby being operable for at least one of transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals; and operating said antenna array for at least one of transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals during said step of receiving photonic solar energy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A semiconductor array assembly interconnected to a spacecraft, comprising:
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a support structure interconnected to a spacecraft; at least one array of photoconductive semiconductor elements mounted on said support structure, said photoconductive semiconductor elements being operable for at least one of transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals upon being activated by photonic energy; and activation means, positioned in face-to-face relation with said photoconductive semiconductor on said support structure, for activating said at least one array by delivering photonic energy to said photoconductive semiconductor elements of said at least one array, said activation means including at least one collection device for collecting photonic energy and transmitting said collected photonic energy onto said photoconductive semiconductor elements. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A semiconductor array assembly, comprising:
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at least one antenna array mounted on a first side of a support layer, including a plurality of photoconductive semiconductor elements, said photoconductive semiconductor elements being operable for at least one of transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals upon being activated by photonic energy; activation means, mounted on a second side of said support layer, for activating said at least one antenna array by delivering photonic energy to said photoconductive semiconductor elements of said at least one array, said activation means including at least one collection device for collecting photonic energy and transmitting said collected photonic energy onto said photoconductive semiconductor elements; and at least one solar energy collection array, mounted on said second side of said support layer, for generating power from photonic energy receivable by said collection array, said collection array including a plurality of photovoltaic cells. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification