Phased array antenna providing gradual changes in beam steering and beam reconfiguration and related methods

• US 6,897,829 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2004
• Issued: 05/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NETGEAR, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Oliver, Thomas Robert, Phelan, Harry Richard, Nink, Richard John
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Tan
• Application Number:
  US10/867,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20050001784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/702, 343/824, 343/893, 343/895, 343/853, 342/372, 342/375
• US Class Current: 343/893
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0087 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing antenna arrays manufacturing waveguides H01P11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/22 Antenna units of the array energised non-uniformly in amplitude or phase, e.g. tapered array or binomial array
• 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

A phased array antenna may include a substrate and an array of antenna elements carried thereby, and the antenna elements may be arranged along an imaginary spiral. The antenna may further include at least one control element connected to each antenna element, and at least one controller serially communicating with the control elements so that updated control data for beam steering is sequentially implemented by the control elements to thereby cause a gradual change in beam steering.

Claims

1. A phased array antenna comprising:

a substrate and an array of antenna elements carried thereby, said antenna elements being arranged along an imaginary spiral;

at least one control element connected to each antenna element; and

at least one controller serially communicating with said control elements so that updated control data for beam steering is sequentially implemented by said control elements to thereby cause a gradual change in beam steering.

2. The phased array antenna of claim 1 wherein the imaginary spiral comprises an imaginary Archimedean spiral.

3. The phased array antenna of claim 1 wherein said antenna elements are arranged in a plurality of subarrays, and wherein said subarrays of antenna elements are also arranged along the imaginary spiral.

4. The phased array antenna of claim 3 wherein said antenna elements of each subarray are also arranged along a respective imaginary spiral.

5. The phased array antenna of claim 1 wherein said control elements comprise phase shifters.

6. The phased array antenna of claim 1 wherein said control elements comprise gain elements.

7. The phased array antenna of claim 1 wherein said at least one controller provides multi-beam operation.

8. The phased array antenna of claim 1 wherein said at least one controller provides aperture reconfiguration.

9. The phased array antenna of claim 1 wherein said at least one controller provides beam reconfiguration.

10. The phased array antenna of claim 1 wherein said antenna elements are arranged in a plurality of subarrays;

and wherein said at least one controller comprises a respective subarray controller connected to each subarray, a plurality of group controllers each connected to a respective group of subarray controllers, and a master controller connected to said group controllers.

11. The phased array antenna of claim 10 further comprising a respective Universal Serial Bus (USB) connecting each group controller with its respective subarray controllers.

12. The phased array antenna of claim 10 further comprising at least one Ethernet link connecting said master controller and said group controllers.

13. A phased array antenna comprising:

a substrate and an array of antenna elements carried thereby, said antenna elements being arranged along an imaginary spiral;

at least one gain element connected to each antenna element;

at least one phase element connected to each antenna element; and

at least one controller serially communicating with said gain elements and said phase shifters so that updated control data for beam steering is sequentially implemented by said control elements to thereby cause a gradual change in beam steering.

14. The phased array antenna of claim 13 wherein the imaginary spiral comprises an imaginary Archimedean spiral.

15. The phased array antenna of claim 13 wherein said antenna elements are arranged in a plurality of subarrays, and wherein said subarrays of antenna elements are also arranged along the imaginary spiral.

16. The phased array antenna of claim 15 wherein said antenna elements of each subarray are also arranged along a respective imaginary spiral.

17. The phased array antenna of claim 13 wherein said at least one controller provides multi-beam operation.

18. The phased array antenna of claim 13 wherein said antenna elements are arranged in a plurality of subarrays;

and wherein said at least one controller comprises a respective subarray controller connected to each subarray, a plurality of group controllers each connected to a respective group of subarray controllers, and a master controller connected to said group controllers.

19. The phased array antenna of claim 18 further comprising a respective Universal Serial Bus (USB) connecting each group controller with its respective subarray controllers.

20. The phased array antenna of claim 18 further comprising at least one Ethernet link connecting said master controller and said group controllers.

21. A communications system comprising:

a communications device and a phased array antenna connected thereto, said phased array antenna comprising

a substrate and an array of antenna elements carried thereby, said antenna elements being arranged along an imaginary spiral,

at least one control element connected to each antenna element, and

at least one controller serially communicating with said control elements so that updated control data for beam steering is sequentially implemented by said control elements to thereby cause a gradual change in beam steering.

22. The communications system of claim 21 wherein said communications device comprises a transmitter.

23. The communications system of claim 21 wherein said communications devices comprises a receiver.

24. The communications system of claim 21 wherein the imaginary spiral comprises an imaginary Archimedean spiral.

25. The communications system of claim 21 wherein said antenna elements are arranged in a plurality of subarrays, and wherein said subarrays of antenna elements are also arranged along the imaginary spiral.

26. The communications system of claim 25 wherein said antenna elements of each subarray are also arranged along a respective imaginary spiral.

27. The communications system of claim 21 wherein said control elements comprise at least one of phase shifters and gain elements.

28. The communications system of claim 21 wherein said at least one controller provides multi-beam operation.

29. The communications system of claim 21 wherein said antenna elements are arranged in a plurality of subarrays;

and wherein said at least one controller comprises a respective subarray controller connected to each subarray, a plurality of group controllers each connected to a respective group of subarray controllers, and a master controller connected to said group controllers.

30. A method for controlling a phased array antenna comprising a substrate and an array of antenna elements carried thereby where the antenna elements are arranged along an imaginary spiral, and at least one control element connected to each antenna element, the method comprising:

serially communicating with the control elements so that updated control data for beam steering is sequentially implemented by the control elements to thereby cause a gradual change in beam steering.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the imaginary spiral comprises an imaginary Archimedean spiral.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the antenna elements are arranged in a plurality of subarrays, and wherein the subarrays of antenna elements are also arranged along the imaginary spiral.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the antenna elements of each subarray are also arranged along a respective imaginary spiral.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein the control elements comprise at least one of phase shifters and gain elements.

35. The method of claim 30 further comprising controlling the antenna elements to provide multi-beam operation.