Overlapping subarray architecture

• US 7,265,713 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2006
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Lewis, Gib F.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US11/450,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20060227049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 342/158, 342/368, 342/371, 342/372, 342/379
• US Class Current: 342/372
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0087 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing antenna arrays manufacturing waveguides H01P11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/06 Arrays of individually energised antenna units similarly polarised and spaced apart

Abstract

An embodiment of an electronically scanned array antenna includes an array of radiative elements having an array height. A plurality of separate subarrays of the radiative elements include a first row comprising a first plurality of subarrays, wherein subarrays of the first plurality of subarrays are horizontally non-overlapping with one another, and a second row comprising a second plurality of subarrays. The subarrays of the second row are arranged vertically adjacent to the subarrays of the first row, wherein subarrays of the second plurality of subarrays are horizontally non-overlapping with one another. The radiative elements of the separate subarrays are not shared with any other subarray. The subarrays of the radiative elements have subarray heights which are smaller than the array height. In another embodiment, a method for suppressing grating lobe formation in a steered subarray antenna includes applying a first illumination function to a first subarray; applying a second illumination function to a second subarray; wherein the first illumination function is different from the second illumination function.

Claims

1. An electronically scanned array radar system. comprising:

a controller with a memory;

a set of parameters identifying an operating condition under which undesirable grating lobes will form, the list of parameters being stored in memory;

an array of radiative elements having an array height, with a plurality of separate subarrays of said radiative elements, wherein the plurality of separate subarray comprises at least a first subarray and a second subarray, wherein said first subarray and said second subarray have subarray heights which are smaller than said array height, said first subarray is vertically non-overlapping with the second subarray, said first subarray partially horizontally overlaps the second subarray, and said radiative elements of said separate subarray are not shared with any other subarray; and

a set of families of tapers associated with respective subarrays, at least a first taper of the family of tapers being different from a second taper of the family of tapers, each taper creating nulls in the far field response of their respective subarrays, the nulls being in the vicinity of grating lobes which form in the operating condition, the set of tapers being stored in the memory.

2. The electronically scanned array radar system of claim 1, wherein the controller applies the family of tapers to the subarrays when the operating conditions are met.