Reconfigurable antenna system

• US 6,456,251 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2001
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Rao, Sudhakar
• Primary Examiner(s): Wimer, Michael C.
• Application Number:
  US09/859,546
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: H01/Q.128, H01/Q 1.918, H01/Q.302, 343/757, 343/DIG.2, 343/781.R, 343/781.P, 343/840, 343/776, 343/786, 342/354, 342/355
• US Class Current: 343/757
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/288 Satellite antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/12 wherein the surfaces are concave H01Q19/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/02 using mechanical movement of antenna or antenna system as a whole
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/20 wherein the primary active element is fixed and the reflecting device is movable
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18515 Transmission equipment in satellites or space-based relays

Abstract

A two-step method is used to reconfigure beams among different orbital slots for a satellite system. The satellite is biased at one or more orbital slots for a back-up mission, while it looks at the sub-satellite point for the primary mission. Body steering is achieved using pitch and roll biases. The main reflector of the antenna is gimballed in order to steer the beams to different locations for the back-up mission. Beam size is controlled through the use of different sized reflectors and by varying the feed size. Different sized beams are interleaved among multiple reflectors.

Claims

1. A method for reconfiguring an antenna system of a satellite from a first orbital slot to a second orbital slot, the satellite having a body biasing system, an antenna farm having multiple reflectors of multiple sizes for generating spot and shaped beams, a feed array having varying feed sizes, and a reflector pointing mechanism, said method comprising the steps of:

body biasing a satellite from a first orbital slot to a second orbital slot using a tracking site for the second orbital slot that is the same as a tracking site used for said first orbital slot; and

gimballing at least one reflector in said antenna system to steer beams to predetermined locations for said second orbital slot.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of generating a shaped beam for said second orbital slot using a single reflector that is also used for generating a shaped beam for said first orbital slot.

3. A method for reconfiguring an antenna system of a satellite from a first orbital slot to a second orbital slot, the satellite having a body biasing system, an antenna farm having multiple reflectors or multiple sizes for generating spot and shaped beams, a feed array having varying feed sizes, and a reflector pointing mechanism, said method comprising the steps of:

body biasing a satellite from a first orbital slot to a second orbital slot using a tracking site for the second orbital slot that is the same as a tracking site used for said first orbital slot;

gimballing at least one reflector in said antenna system to steer beams to predetermined locations for said second orbital slot; and

adjusting beam size for said predetermined locations by using predeterined reflectors fed by the feed array having varying feed size.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising the step of interleaving different sized beams among multiple reflectors in the antenna farm.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein said step of adjusting beam size further comprises using common feed arrays for both the first and second orbital slots.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 further comprising the step of sharing a common set of amplifiers among common feeds for the first and second orbital slots.