Open loop array antenna beam steering architecture

• US 6,646,599 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Issued: 11/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Exelis Incorporated (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sparrow, Mitchell J., Apa, Martin J., High, William L., Cikalo, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mull, Fred H.
• Application Number:
  US10/097,408
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 342/14, 342/188, 342/361, 342/368
• US Class Current: 342/361
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0025 Modular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/245 provided with means for varying the polarisation polarising devices H01Q15/24; tracking by comparing linear polarisation compounds G01S3/146; reducing depolarisation effects H04B7/00; polarisation diversity H04B7/10

Abstract

A solid state active aperture high power polarization agile transmitter, either single or dual polarization, employing nonreciprocal antenna elements, designed such that it can be used in an Electronic Warfare (EW) system that is more efficient and less expensive. Antenna beam steering is accomplished with variable phase shifters that are used to set the RF signal phase of each element. The beam steering function is implemented with a hardware architecture where the phase shifters are built-in ahead of the power amplifiers such that these low power phase shifters impart phase delays to low power signals without wasting RF signal power and hence improving efficiency. These power transmitter devices are also more reliable, lighter in weight and smaller in size.

Claims

1. An antenna beam steering system, comprising:

a plurality of beam steering phase shifters to delay phase of an RF signal in order to control the direction of transmission;

wherein the plurality of beam steering phase shifters are operatively connected to a polarization control module for controlling the polarization state of the RF signal;

a plurality of power amplifier modules operatively connected to the output of the plurality of beam steering phase shifters so that the RF signal is directionally focused prior to amplification; and

a plurality of polarizing radiators operatively connected to the output of the plurality of power amplifier modules.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of polarizing radiators comprises dual polarizing radiators.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a receiver with dual polarizing radiators for providing a signal base for the polarization control module.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of beam steering phase shifters comprises GaAs MMIC type phase shifters.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of beam steering phase shifters comprises GaAs MMIC type phase shifters.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of beam steering phase shifters comprises GaAs MMIC type phase shifters.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of beam steering phase shifters comprise transistor/diode phase shifters or FET phase shifters.

8. An antenna beam steering system, comprising:

a plurality of beam steering phase shifters to delay phase of an RF signal in order to control the direction of transmission;

a plurality of power amplifier modules connected at the output of the plurality of beam steering phase shifters so that the RF signal is directionally focused prior to amplification;

a plurality of dual polarizing radiators connected at the output of the plurality of power amplifiers

a polarization control module connected to the input of the plurality of beam steering phase shifters for controlling the polarization state of the RF signal; and

a receiver with dual polarizing radiators for providing a signal base for the polarization control module.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of beam steering phase shifters comprises GaAs MMIC type phase shifters.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of beam steering phase shifters comprise transistor/diode phase shifters or FET phase shifters.

11. A polarization agile transmitter, comprising:

a beam steering network for receiving a signal base and for generating a phase-shifted output of the signal base in order to control the direction of transmission;

wherein the beam steering network is operatively connected to a polarization control module for controlling the polarization state of the signal base;

an amplifying module for amplifying the phase-shifted output; and

a radiating module for radiating the amplified phase-shifted output,

wherein the amplifying module is located after the beam steering network so that the signal output to be transmitted is directionally focused before amplification.

12. The polarization agile transmitter of claim 11, wherein the beam steering network comprises a plurality of phase shifters.

13. The polarization agile transmitter of claim 12, wherein the plurality of phase shifters comprises GaAs MMIC phase shifters.

14. The polarization agile transmitter of claim 13, wherein the radiating module comprises dual polarizing radiators.

15. The polarization agile transmitter of claim 13, wherein the amplifying module comprises power amplifiers.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of phase shifters comprise transistor/diode phase shifters or FET phase shifters.

17. The polarization agile transmitter of claim 11 further comprising a receiver with dual polarizing radiators for providing the signal base to the polarization control module.

18. The polarization agile transmitter of claim 11, wherein the polarization control module comprises a receive polarimeter and a transmit polarimeter.

19. A polarization agile transmitter, comprising:

a beam steering network comprising a plurality of phase shifters for receiving a signal base and for generating a phase-shifted output of the signal base in order to control the direction of transmission;

an amplifying module comprising a plurality of power amplifiers for amplifying the phase-shifted output;

wherein the beam steering network is located prior to the amplifying module such that the signal base is directionally focused prior to amplification;

a radiating module comprising a plurality of dual polarizing radiators for radiating the amplified phase-shifted output; and

a polarization control module for providing the signal base with a controlled polarization state for the beam steering network.

20. The polarization agile transmitter of claim 19 wherein the phase shifters are of the GaAs MMIC type.

21. The polarization agile transmitter of claim 19 wherein the polarization control module comprises a receive polarimeter and a transmit polarimeter.

22. The polarization agile transmitter of claim 19, wherein the phase shifters are transistor/diode phase shifters or FET phase shifters.

23. An antenna beam steering system used for generating electronic countermeasure (ECM) signals, comprising:

a polarization agile transmitter including;

(1) a beam steering network comprising a plurality of phase shifters in order to control the direction of transmission;

(2) a plurality of power amplifiers located after the beam steering network;

(3) a plurality of dual polarization antennas for transmitting a signal output having a directional component and polarization components derived based on a received signal base from a threat radar;

a polarization control module including;

(1) a dual polarizing antenna for receiving the signal base;

(2) a receive polarimeter for measuring the polarization of the signal base;

(3) a transmit polarimeter for generating an output to the beam steering network based on the measured polarization; and

an omnidirectional antenna for receiving the signal base and providing the signal base to the transmit polarimeter.

24. The antenna beam steering system of claim 23, wherein the polarization control module further comprises a null adaptive tracker for tuning the received signal base.

25. The antenna beam steering system of claim 23 further comprising a memory for storing a signal base received by the omnidirectional antenna.