Deployable phased array of reflectors and method of operation
First Claim
1. A phased-array-of-reflectors antenna comprising:
- plurality of reflector antennas pointed toward a common direction each comprising a reflector having a rim defining a substantially circular shape and each comprising a feed array disposed above the individual reflector;
each reflector antenna being disposed adjacent to at least one other reflector antenna in the plurality of reflector antennas to form a phased array antenna using the plurality of reflector antennas as phased array antenna elements so that the signal energy from the plurality of reflector antennas combines to form a beam.
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Abstract
A deployable phased-array-of-reflectors antenna includes individual reflectors and feed arrays. Each feed array is disposed above a corresponding individual reflector. The individual reflector antennas are preferably disposed adjacent to one another (e.g., on a hexagonal lattice) to form a phased array antenna using the individual reflectors antennas as elements. Phase and amplitude control electronics are coupled to each reflector antenna to provide steering for the signal energy coupled between the reflectors and the feed arrays. Switching electronics are coupled to the feed arrays and selectively activate and deactivate beam forming clusters of feeds in the feed arrays. A method for generating a steerable antenna pattern couples signal energy through a beamforming section to form steered signal energy. Next, the method couples the steered signal energy between a phased array of reflector antennas. The method selectively activates a first feed cluster for a first reflector, a second feed cluster for a second reflector, and so on, until feed clusters are activated in all of the reflectors in the array. The method then couples the steered signal energy between the first and second feed clusters. The method subsequently activates and deactivates the feed clusters to reduce the impact of grating lobes in the total antenna pattern, or when a particular cluster attenuation has been reached.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. A phased-array-of-reflectors antenna comprising:
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plurality of reflector antennas pointed toward a common direction each comprising a reflector having a rim defining a substantially circular shape and each comprising a feed array disposed above the individual reflector;
each reflector antenna being disposed adjacent to at least one other reflector antenna in the plurality of reflector antennas to form a phased array antenna using the plurality of reflector antennas as phased array antenna elements so that the signal energy from the plurality of reflector antennas combines to form a beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
phase and amplitude control means coupled to each individual reflector for steering the individual reflectors.
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10. A phased reflector array antenna according to claim 1, further comprising switching means coupled to the feed arrays for selectively activating and deactivating feeds in the feed arrays.
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11. A phased reflector array antenna according to claim 10, wherein the switching means is a switch matrix for selectively activating and deactivating at least first and second element clusters of feeds that form a beam.
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12. A phased reflector array antenna according to claim 11, wherein the switch matrix deactivates the first element cluster and activates the second element cluster when the beam steers within a predetermined angular range of the first element cluster.
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13. A phased reflector array antenna according to claim 12, wherein the predetermined angular range is selected according to a minimum acceptable grating lobe specification.
- 14. An antenna pattern for a phased reflector array antenna, the antenna pattern comprising a reflector array pattern in product with array-fed reflector patterns, the reflector array pattern generated by a lattice of four or more reflector antennas, the pattern from each of said reflector antennas comprising a substantially circular shape, and the array-fed reflector patterns generated by selectively actuable array feeds above the reflector antennas.
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19. A method for generating a steerable antenna pattern, the method comprising:
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coupling signal energy through a beamforming section to form steered signal energy;
selectively activating a first feed cluster for a beam and a second feed cluster for the beam, the first feed cluster selected from feed elements in a first feed array for a first reflector antenna, the second feed cluster selected from feed elements in a second feed array for a second reflector antenna, the first and second reflector antennas being pointed toward a common direction and being adjacently disposed to form a phased array reflector antenna using the first and second reflector antennas as phased array antenna elements so that the signal energy from the first and second feed clusters combines to form said beam; and
coupling the steered signal energy between the first and second reflector antennas and the first and second feed clusters. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A phased reflector array antenna comprising:
a plurality of reflector antennas pointed toward a common direction each comprising a reflector and a feed array, the feed array disposed above the reflector, the reflector comprising a reflector surface pulled into shape by a plurality of drop ties coupled to a shaping surface, and wherein each reflector antenna is disposed adjacent to at least one other reflector antenna and shares at least one of said drop ties with said one other reflector antenna in the plurality of reflector antennas to form a phased array antenna using the plurality of reflector antennas as phased array antenna elements to form a communication beam. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
Specification