Array antenna system
First Claim
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1. An array antenna system having an electrically large array antenna, comprising:
- a first antenna subarray;
a second antenna subarray;
a combination line network having an input for receiving an antenna power signal, and a first output connected to emit a first output signal to the first antenna subarray, and a second output connected to emit a second output signal to the second antenna subarray;
a phase shifting device for generating a phase displacement between the first and second output signals before they are fed to the antenna subarrays;
apparatus for compensating the chase displacement in the beam path of the antenna radiation emitted by the first and second antenna subarrays; and
wherein the antenna subarrays are mutually displaced with respect to a main beaming direction of the antenna.
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Abstract
An array antenna system with an electrically large array antenna comprises first and second antenna subarrays and, a combination transmission line network, which has an input for receiving an antenna line signal and outputs connected with the first and second antenna subarrays. The combination line network contains a phase shifting device for generating a phase displacement between output signals of the first output and of the second output before their feeding to the antenna subarrays; and devices are provided to compensate the phase displacement in the beam path of the antenna radiation emitted by the antenna subarrays.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. An array antenna system having an electrically large array antenna, comprising:
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a first antenna subarray;
a second antenna subarray;
a combination line network having an input for receiving an antenna power signal, and a first output connected to emit a first output signal to the first antenna subarray, and a second output connected to emit a second output signal to the second antenna subarray;
a phase shifting device for generating a phase displacement between the first and second output signals before they are fed to the antenna subarrays;
apparatus for compensating the chase displacement in the beam path of the antenna radiation emitted by the first and second antenna subarrays; and
wherein the antenna subarrays are mutually displaced with respect to a main beaming direction of the antenna. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
the antenna subarrays are arranged diagonally to the main beaming direction of the antenna; and
the centers of the antenna subarrays are mutually displaced by a quarter of the wavelength with respect to the main beaming direction.
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4. The array antenna system according to claim 3, wherein the antenna subarrays are arranged in a common plane.
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5. An array antenna system having an electrically large array antenna, comprising:
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a first antenna subarray;
a second antenna subarray;
a combination line network having an input for receiving an antenna power signal, and a first output connected to emit a first output signal to the first antenna subarray, and a second output connected to emit a second output signal to the second antenna subarray;
a phase shifting device for generating a phase displacement between the first and second output signals before they are fed to the antenna subarrays; and
apparatus for compensating the phase displacement in the beam path of the antenna radiation emitted by the first and second antenna subarrays;
wherein the antenna subarrays are covered by dielectric layers of different dielectric constants, which compensate the phase displacement of the radiation emitted by the antenna subarrays; and
wherein a first dielectric layer is air, and a second dielectric layer is a layered medium with a dielectric constant that is larger than the dielectric constant of air.
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6. An array antenna system having an electrically large array antenna, comprising:
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a first antenna subarray;
a second antenna subarray;
a combination line network having an input for receiving an antenna power signal, and a first output connected to emit a first output signal to the first antenna subarray, and a second output connected to emit a second output signal to the second antenna subarray;
a phase shifting device for generating a phase displacement between the first and second output signals before they are fed to the antenna subarrays; and
apparatus for compensating the phase displacement in the beam path of the antenna radiation emitted by the first and second antenna subarrays; and
wherein waveguide paths with different cross-sectional dimensions are arranged on the antenna subarrays, which cross-sectional dimensions compensate the phase displacement of the radiation emitted by the first and second antenna subarrays. - View Dependent Claims (7, 9)
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8. The array antenna system according to wherein the antenna subarrays are arranged in a common plane.
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10. An array antenna system having an electrically large array antenna, comprising:
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a first antenna subarray;
a second antenna subarray;
a combination line network having an input for receiving an antenna power signal, and a first output connected to emit a first output signal to the first antenna subarray, and a second output connected to emit a second output signal to the second antenna subarray;
a phase shifting device for generating a phase displacement between the first and second output signals before they are fed to the antenna subarrays; and
apparatus for compensating the phase displacement in the beam path of the antenna radiation emitted by the first and second antenna subarrays; and
wherein the combination line network contains a 4-gate power splitter. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A method of operating an array antenna system having an electrically large array antenna that includes first and second antenna subarrays and a combination line network that has first and second outputs connected to emit signals to the first and second antenna subarrays respectively, said method comprising:
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introducing a phase shift into the signal emitted from said combination line network to one of said first and second antenna subarrays, creating a phase displacement between the signals input to the first and second antenna sub arrays;
compensating the phase displacement by modifying relative physical characteristics of said first and second antenna subarrays. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
the antenna subarrays are arranged diagonally to the main beaming direction of the antenna; and
the centers of the antenna subarrays are mutually displaced by a quarter of the wavelength with respect to the main beaming direction.
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17. The method according to claim 13, wherein said compensating step comprises covering said first and second antenna subarrays with dielectric layers having different dielectric constants.
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18. The array antenna system according to claim 17, wherein the dielectric layers have a layer thickness (d) that causes a displacement between the radiation emitted by the antenna subarrays by a quarter of a wavelength in the sense of a compensation of the 90°
- phase displacement generated by the phase shifting device.
Specification