Multiband phased array antenna utilizing a unit cell

• US 6,650,291 B1
• Filed: 05/08/2002
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Elsallal, Mohamed Wajih A., West, James B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mull, Fred H
• Application Number:
  US10/141,269
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 342/368-384
• US Class Current: 342/371
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/46 Active lenses or reflecting arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/40 Imbricated or interleaved structures; Combined or electromagnetically coupled arrangements, e.g. comprising two or more non-connected fed radiating elements

Abstract

A multi-band phased array antenna for radiating low frequency band signals and high frequency band signals. The multiband phased array antenna is formed from unit cells having waveguides for radiating high frequency band signals and end-fire radiating elements for radiating low frequency band signals. The unit cells have four walls with an open input end and an open radiating end. End-fire radiating elements are disposed on inner surfaces and outer surfaces of the four walls and radiate out the radiating end. Four waveguides are disposed together to radiate into the input end of the low frequency assembly.

Claims

1. A multiband phased array antenna for radiating low frequency band signals and high frequency band signals said multiband phased array antenna formed from a plurality of unit cells each of said unit cells comprising:

a low frequency assembly comprising;

four walls disposed with perpendicular pairs of parallel walls thereby forming a square configuration with an open input end and an open radiating end; and

end-fire radiating elements disposed on the four walls and radiating out the radiating end; and

a high frequency assembly comprising four high frequency square waveguides said four high frequency square waveguides sized and arranged in a square to radiate into the input end of the low frequency assembly square waveguide.

2. The multiband phased array antenna of claim 1 wherein:

a junction between the low frequency assembly square waveguide and the high frequency assembly creates a guided wave mode transition.

3. The multiband phased array antenna of claim 1 wherein the end-fire radiating elements comprise quasi-Yagi radiators.

4. The multiband phased array antenna of claim 1 wherein the end-fire radiating elements comprise notch radiators.

5. The multiband phased array antenna of claim 1 further comprising:

horizontal end-fire radiating elements disposed on horizontal walls of the low frequency assembly to produce a horizontal polarized signal; and

vertical end-fire radiating elements disposed on the vertical walls of the low frequency assembly to produce a vertical polarized signal.

6. The multiband phased array of claim 5 wherein the vertical end-fire radiating elements and the horizontal end-fire radiating elements are fed in phase quadrature to produce a circular polarized signal.

7. The multiband phased array antenna of claim 1 wherein the four high frequency square waveguides further comprise pairs of triangular waveguides disposed together for radiating and receiving two high frequency band signals.

8. The multiband phased array antenna of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of phase shifters for steering a low frequency beam and a high frequency beam.

9. The multiband phased array antenna of claim 8 wherein the low frequency beam steering phase shifter comprises a true time delay phase shifter connected between the RF signal source and the end-fire radiating elements.

10. The multiband phased array of claim 8 wherein the high frequency beam steering phase shifter comprises a tunable photonic band gap material waveguide having tunable photonic band gap material located on walls of said waveguide.

11. A multiband phased array antenna for low frequency band signals and high frequency band signals comprising:

a plurality of unit cells disposed with said unit cells adjacent to each other wherein each unit cell further comprises;

four walls disposed with perpendicular pairs of parallel walls to form a square configuration having an open input end and an open radiating end;

end-fire radiating elements disposed on surfaces of the four walls and radiating and receiving low frequency band signals out the radiating end;

at least four high frequency square waveguide radiating elements disposed together said high frequency square waveguide radiating elements having open ends radiating and receiving high frequency band signals into the input end and out the radiating end of said square configuration; and

a plurality of phase shifters connected to unit cells to shift the phase of the low frequency band signals and the high frequency band signals to steer a beam of the phased array antenna.

12. The multiband phased array antenna of claim 11 wherein the end-fire radiating elements comprise quasi-Yagi radiators.

13. The multiband phased array antenna of claim 11 wherein the end-fire radiating elements comprise notch radiators.

14. The multiband phased array antenna of claim 11 further comprising:

horizontal end-fire radiating elements disposed on horizontal walls to produce a horizontal polarized signal; and

vertical end-fire radiating elements disposed on the vertical walls to produce a vertical polarized signal.

15. The multiband phased array of claim 14 wherein the vertical end-fire radiating elements and the horizontal end-fire radiating elements are fed in phase quadrature to produce a circular polarized signal.

16. The multiband phased array antenna of claim 11 wherein the four high frequency square waveguide radiating elements further comprise pairs of triangular waveguides disposed together for radiating and receiving two high frequency band signals.

17. The multiband phased array antenna of claim 11 wherein the plurality of phase shifters comprises a true time delay phase shifter connected between an RF signal source and the end-fire radiating elements for phase shifting the low frequency signals.

18. The multiband phased array antenna of claim 11 wherein the plurality of phase shifters comprises a tunable photonic band gap material in the four high frequency square waveguide radiating element for phase shifting the high frequency signals.

19. A multiband unit cell comprising:

four walls disposed with perpendicular pairs of parallel walls to form a square configuration having an open input end and an open radiating end;

notch radiating elements disposed on surfaces of the four walls and radiating and receiving low frequency band signals out the radiating end; and

at least four high frequency square waveguide radiating elements disposed together said high frequency square waveguide radiating elements having open ends radiating and receiving high frequency band signals into the input end and out the radiating end of said square configuration.

20. The multiband unit cell of claim 19 wherein the four high frequency square waveguide radiating elements further comprise pairs of triangular waveguides disposed together for radiating and receiving two high frequency band signals.