Aircraft phased array antenna structure including adjacently supported equipment

• US 6,844,855 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2002
• Issued: 01/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Carson, Ronald Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HOANGANH T
• Application Number:
  US10/057,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20030142024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: H01/Q.128, 343/705, 343/708, 343/700.MS, 455/275, 455/93, 455/98, 455/345, 342/32, 342/35, 342/41, 342/45
• US Class Current: 343/705
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/286 substantially flush mounted with the skin of the craft
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/00 Antenna arrays or systems arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system H01Q3/00

Abstract

An aircraft phased array antenna system has transmit and receive antenna structures externally mounted on the aircraft fuselage. Each antenna comprises a plurality of phased array elements and antenna power and support equipment. Aerodynamically shaping antenna structure to enclose an antenna element grid provides additional antenna structure volume, which is efficiently utilized by locating antenna support equipment within the antenna structure. To control signal attenuation a receive antenna internal converter converts receive frequency signals to L-band frequency signals for aircraft use, and a similar transmit antenna converter converts L-band frequency signals to transmit frequency signals, thus unconstraining antenna to internal aircraft equipment spacing. To reduce power loss and cabling weight, antenna operating power is first generated in the 28 to 270 volts DC range within the aircraft, and locally converted in each antenna to the 3 to 6 volt DC power to operate each antenna'"'"'s phased array elements.

Claims

1. A phased array antenna system for a mobile platform comprising:

a transmit antenna disposed within a first antenna housing;

a receive antenna disposed within a second antenna housing, said second antenna housing independently mountable from the first antenna housing;

said receive antenna operating to receive a receive antenna signal and to convert said receive antenna signal to an aircraft communication frequency signal before outputting said receive antenna signal from said second antenna housing; and

said transmit antenna operating to transmit a transmit antenna signal and to convert said aircraft communication frequency signal into said transmit antenna signal within said first antenna housing;

wherein each of said first and second antenna housings are adapted for externally mounting to the mobile platform, said first and second antenna housings being mounted in a front-to-back linear arrangement with respect to each other.

2. The antenna system of claim 1 further comprising:

a converter disposed within each of said first and second antenna housings;

an aircraft transfer power in communication with said converter; and

said converter converts said aircraft transfer power to a phased array antenna power.

3. The antenna system of claim 1 further comprising:

a first frequency converter disposed within said second antenna housing for converting said receive antenna signal to said aircraft communication frequency signal; and

a second frequency converter disposed within said first antenna housing for converting said aircraft communication frequency signal to said transmit antenna signal.

4. The antenna system of claim 3 further comprising;

said receive antenna signal comprising a first signal, said first signal being in a frequency range of about 12 gigahertz to about 20 GHz;

said aircraft communication frequency signal comprising a second signal having a frequency of about 1 gigahertz; and

said transmit antenna signal comprising a third signal, said third signal being in a frequency range of about 14 gigahertz to about 44 GHz.

5. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein each of said first and second antenna housings further include a substantially tear-drop shape.

6. A phased array antenna communication system for external mounting on a mobile platform comprising:

a pair of antennas being one each of a transmit antenna and a receive antenna;

a transmit antenna housing for enclosing the transmit antenna and a transmit antenna equipment group;

a receive antenna housing independently positionable from the transmit antenna housing for enclosing the receive antenna and a receive antenna equipment group;

each equipment group being in electrical communication with an aircraft communication signal, said signal having an operating frequency ranging from an ultra-high frequency to an L-band frequency;

an aircraft mounted converter to convert an aircraft service voltage to an antenna power transfer voltage; and

each antenna housing having a transfer converter to convert said transfer voltage to an antenna operating voltage and each adaptable for external mounting to the mobile platform;

wherein a depth of said transmit and receive antenna housings is determinable by a space envelope of the transmit and receive antennas, said transmit antenna equipment group and said receive antenna equipment group being each positionable adjacent the space envelope of respective ones of the transmit and receive antennas within their respective housings without increasing said depth.

7. The communication system of claim 6 further comprising:

said transmit antenna housing having an upper surface and a first set of phased array antenna elements arranged in a grid formation on the transmit antenna upper surface; and

said receive antenna housing having an upper surface and a second set of phased array antenna elements arranged in the grid formation on the receive antenna upper surface.

8. The communication system of claim 7 further comprising:

each antenna housing having an internal volume;

each set of phased array antenna elements occupies a first portion of each housing internal volume; and

a preselected one of the transmit antenna equipment group and the receive antenna equipment group occupies a second portion of each housing internal volume.

9. The communication system of claim 6 further comprising:

each antenna being in electrical communication with an aircraft internally mounted receiver;

said aircraft communication signal has a frequency of about one gigahertz (GHz), said frequency preselected to reduce a signal attenuation; and

said signal attenuation allows for a distance range between each antenna and the aircraft receiver.

10. The communication system of claim 9 further comprising:

said distance range between each antenna and the aircraft mounted receiver being between about 1.2 meters and about 62 meters.

11. The communication system of claim 6 further comprising:

said transfer voltage comprising about a 270 volt direct current (DC);

said about 270 volt DC transfer voltage forming a differential pair of about ±

135 volt DC voltages;

a first of said pair of about ±

135 volt DC voltages being in communication with the transmit antenna; and

a second of said pair of about ±

135 volt DC voltages being in communication with the receive antenna.

12. The communication system of claim 6 wherein said receive antenna receives a data communication signal in a frequency range lying between about 12 gigahertz (GHz) and about 20 GHz.

13. The communication system of claim 12 wherein said transmit antenna transmits the data communication signal in a frequency range lying between about 14 GHz and about 44 GHz.

14. The communication system of claim 6 further comprising:

said system equipment groups each include at least internal power equipment for the antenna, position control equipment for the antenna, at least one power converter for the antenna, a radio frequency monitor, and at least one of an Up-converter and a Down-converter.

15. The communication system of claim 6 further comprising:

said transfer converter converts the transfer voltage within each housing to an antenna operating voltage of about 5 volts direct current to operate each antenna.

16. An aircraft phased array antenna communication system providing antennas and antenna servicing equipment in at least one aircraft mounted structure, said system comprising:

at least two antenna discs externally mounted on an aircraft fuselage adjacent and in a fore-aft orientation with respect to each other, each disc forming one of a transmit antenna housing and a receive antenna housing;

the transmit antenna housing and the receive antenna housing each having a plurality of phased array antenna elements disposed therein;

each of the plurality of phased array antenna elements being connectably joined to a surface of a pre-selected antenna disc for one of transmitting and receiving an electromagnetic signal;

said electromagnetic signal being one of a transmit frequency and a receive frequency;

a power and control equipment group positioned within each said disc; and

each said equipment group operable to convert between one of the transmit frequency and the receive frequency and an aircraft communication signal frequency.

17. The communication system of claim 16 wherein said equipment group comprises at least a converter to convert an aircraft voltage to an antenna operating voltage being about 5 volts direct current.

18. The communication system of claim 16 further comprising:

said electromagnetic signal transmit frequency selected from a frequency range between about 14 gigahertz (GHz) and about 44 GHz; and

said electromagnetic signal receive frequency selected from a frequency range between about 12 GHz and about 20 GHz.

19. The communication system of claim 18 further comprising:

an Up-converter to convert said aircraft communication signal frequency to the transmit frequency; and

a Down-converter to convert said receive frequency to the aircraft communication signal frequency.

20. The communication system of claim 19 wherein said aircraft communication signal frequency is selected from a frequency range between an ultra-high frequency and an L-band frequency.

21. The communication system of claim 20 wherein said aircraft communication signal frequency comprises a frequency about one GHz.

22. The communication system of claim 19 wherein said up-converter is disposed within the transmit antenna housing.

23. The communication system of claim 19 wherein said Down-converter is disposed within the receive antenna housing.

24. The communication system of claim 23 wherein the transmit antenna housing and the receive antenna housing form a fore-aft antenna housing arrangement.

25. The communication system of claim 16 further comprising:

the transmit antenna housing and the receive antenna housing together forming an antenna housing pair;

said antenna housing pair disposed on an upper surface location of the aircraft fuselage; and

said upper surface location circumferentially proximate to a wing leading edge intersection with the aircraft fuselage.

26. A phased array antenna communication system for external mounting on a mobile platform comprising:

a pair of multiple element phased array antennas including a transmit antenna and a receive antenna;

a transmit antenna housing for enclosing the transmit antenna and a transmit antenna equipment group;

a receive antenna housing for enclosing the receive antenna and a receive antenna equipment group;

wherein each of said transmit and receive antenna housings further include a substantially tear-drop shape adaptable to be entirely external to the mobile platform; and

wherein a depth of said transmit and receive antenna housings is determinable by a space envelope of the transmit and receive antennas, said transmit antenna equipment group and said receive antenna equipment group being each positionable adjacent the space envelope of respective ones of the transmit and receive antennas without increasing said depth.