Telecommunication device with shaped electronic scanning arrays and associated telecommunication terminal

• US 6,608,595 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2001
• Issued: 08/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Louzir, Ali
• Primary Examiner(s): Wimer, Michael C.
• Application Number:
  US09/869,457
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 342/371, 342/374, 343/700.MS, 343/853
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/20 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a curvilinear path slotted waveguide arrays H01Q21/005; circularly or helically slotted waveguides H01Q21/0062
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/205 providing an omnidirectional coverage turnstile aerials H01Q21/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/242 Circumferential scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a telecommunications device with an electronic scanning array shaped according to a first surface with rotational symmetry, comprising: a first array of first radiating sources arranged over the said first surface in order to operate about a first central frequency. According to the invention, the device comprises, in addition: a second array of second radiating sources arranged over a second surface with rotational symmetry adjacent to the said first surface in order to operate about a second central frequency, the first and second sources being placed such that a first source and a second source do not face a second source and a first source respectively, along a section normal to the first and second surfaces pointing to the first source and the second source respectively. The invention also relates to a telecommunications terminal in a satellite constellation system and to a wireless communications terminal for communicating with domestic appliances comprising a device according to the invention.

Claims

1. Telecommunications device with electronic scanning arrays of the type comprising M first alignments of first radiating sources in arrays, the said sources being aligned along a generatrix of a surface of revolution, and a switch coupling the said M alignments to N lines of an array of combiners/dividers, where N<

M, the said switch being controlled to feed N alignments amongst said M alignments at a given instant, said N alignments being chosen to be adjacent, said device comprising, in addition, phase shifters inserted between the radiating sources of the same generatrix and a controller to control the switch and the phase shifters so as to adjust the radiation pattern resulting from the said N alignments according to a first azimuthal direction and a second elevational direction, respectively.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the radiating sources are formed by patches etched on a substrate forming the said surface of revolution and directly excited by printed lines which are on the same plane as the said patches.

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein the radiating surface of each radiating source increases with the distance separating the said source from the coupling point of the alignment to which the said source belongs with the said switch.

4. Device according to claim 1, wherein the dimensions of each radiating source are determined such that, along one alignment, it operates at the same predetermined central frequency.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein one and the same phase shifter is common to several alignments such that it can adjust the phase of several sources.

6. Device according to claim 1, wherein second phase shifters each control an additional phase shift of N fed alignments, the said phase shift varying according to a phase gradient such that each source of N fed alignments is fed in an equiphase manner.

7. Device according to claim 1, wherein the surface of revolution consists of a cone or of a truncated cone.

8. Device according to claim 2, wherein, in addition, it comprises M′

second alignments of second radiating sources placed on a second substrate superimposed on the first substrate, the said first and second sources being placed such that they do not face each other, the second alignments of the second radiating sources operating at a central frequency different from that of the first alignments of the first radiating sources.

9. Device according to claim 1, wherein, groups of N alignments are fed successively in time, each group being differentiated by a single alignment.