Method and system for flexibly distributing power in a phased array antenna system

• US 7,392,011 B1
• Filed: 05/31/2005
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Jacomb-Hood, Anthony W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Nhan T.
• Application Number:
  US11/139,872
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 342/174, 342/372, 342/377, 342/368, 343/700.MS, 343/853, 343/700.R, 455/12.1, 455 131- 134, 455/103, 4551271-1273
• US Class Current: 455/13.4
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/288 Satellite antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/28 varying the amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18515 Transmission equipment in satellites or space-based relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/42 in systems with time, space, frequency or polarisation diversity

Abstract

A power system flexibly distributes power among phased array antenna apertures of a satellite (or other type of platform). By allocating the power provided by a power source among the apertures, if one aperture is not providing useful coverage (due to orientation, light traffic volume, aperture operating frequency and/or polarization, etc.), power being supplied to that aperture may be reallocated to one or more other apertures that are providing useful coverage. To flexibly allocate power among the apertures, power amplifiers and attenuators associated with each antenna element are adjusted to provide a wide range of RF output powers with high efficiency at all output power levels. By increasing power allocation efficiency, the size of the satellite power source may be reduced while appropriate power is still provided.

Claims

1. An array antenna system, comprising:

a signal source configured to produce a first and second electromagnetic signal for transmission over a first antenna element and a second antenna element included in the array antenna system; and

a power controller configured to provide a first voltage signal to supply power to a first power amplifier that is configured to amplify the first electromagnetic signal for transmission over the first antenna element and to provide a second voltage signal to supply power to a second power amplifier that is configured to amplify the second electromagnetic signal for transmission over the second antenna element,

wherein the power controller is configured to provide a DC power associated with the first and second voltage signal based on a communication state associated with the array antenna system,

and wherein the provided DC power is less than the power needed to simultaneously operate the first and second power amplifiers at full power.

2. The array antenna system of claim 1, wherein the first voltage signal provided by the power controller includes a voltage signal to adjust the drain-to-source voltage of the first power amplifier.

3. The array antenna system of claim 1, wherein the first voltage signal provided by the power controller includes a voltage signal to adjust the gate-to-source voltage of the first power amplifier.

5. The array antenna system of claim 1, wherein the signal source is configured to produce an adjustable first electromagnetic signal.

6. The array antenna system of claim 1, wherein the power controller converts a first DC voltage signal to a second DC voltage signal.

7. The array antenna system of claim 1, wherein the first antenna element and the second antenna element are included in the same aperture.

8. The array antenna system of claim 1, wherein the first antenna element and the second antenna element are located in different apertures.

9. The array antenna system of claim 1, wherein the first electromagnetic signal is different from the second electromagnetic signal.

10. The array antenna system of claim 1, further comprising:

an attenuator configured to attenuate the first electromagnetic signal prior to transmission over the first antenna element.

11. The array antenna system of claim 1, wherein the power controller includes a DC-to-DC converter.

12. The array antenna system of claim 1, wherein the first voltage signal provided by the power controller includes a voltage signal to adjust a bipolar transistor.

25. The array antenna system of claim 1, wherein the array antenna system is a phased array antenna system.

4. A phased array antenna system, comprising:

a signal source configured to produce a first and second electromagnetic signal for transmission over a first antenna element and a second antenna element included in the phased array antenna system; and

a power controller configured to provide a first voltage signal to supply power to a first power amplifier that is configured to amplify the first electromagnetic signal for transmission over the first antenna element and to provide a second voltage signal to supply power to a second power amplifier that is configured to amplify the second electromagnetic signal for transmission over the second antenna element,

wherein the power controller is configured to provide a DC power associated with the first and second voltage signal,

and wherein the provided DC power is less than the power needed to simultaneously operate the first and second power amplifiers at full power,

and wherein the first voltage signal provided by the power controller includes a first voltage signal to adjust the drain-to-source voltage of the first power amplifier and a second voltage signal to adjust the gate-to-source voltage of the first power amplifier.

13. A space vehicle, comprising:

a phased array antenna system including;

a signal source configured to produce an electromagnetic signal for transmission over antenna elements included in the phased array antenna system,

a plurality of transmit modules configured to respectively provide the electromagnetic signal to the antenna elements, wherein each transmit module includes an attenuator configured to respectively attenuate the electromagnetic signal,

a power controller configured to provide a first voltage signal to supply power to a first transmit module and a second voltage signal to supply power to a second transmit module, wherein the power controller is configured to provide a DC power associated with the first and second voltage signal, wherein the provided DC power is less than the power needed to simultaneously operate the first and second power amplifiers at full power, and

an array controller configured to provide a first voltage signal to set the attenuation of a first attenuator included in the first transmit module and to provide a second voltage signal to set the attenuation of a second attenuator included in the second transmit module.

14. The space vehicle of claim 13, wherein the first voltage signal to supply power to the first transmit module includes a voltage signal to adjust the drain-to-source voltage of a power amplifier included in the first transmit module.

15. The space vehicle of claim 13, wherein the first voltage signal to supply power to the first transmit module includes a voltage signal to adjust the gate-to-source voltage of a power amplifier included in the first transmit module.

16. The space vehicle of claim 13, wherein the first voltage signal to supply power to the first transmit module includes a voltage signal to adjust the drain-to-source voltage of a power amplifier included in the first transmit module and a voltage signal to adjust the gate-to-source voltage of the power amplifier.

17. The space vehicle of claim 13, wherein power controller includes a DC-to-DC converter.

18. The space vehicle of claim 13, wherein the electromagnetic signal produced by the signal source is based on an electromagnetic signal previously received by the phased array antenna system.

19. The space vehicle of claim 13, wherein the signal source is configured to attenuate the electromagnetic signal produced by the signal source.

20. The space vehicle of claim 13, wherein the power controller provides a first group of voltage signals to respectively supply power to a first group of transmit modules and provides a second group of voltage signals to respectively supply power to a second group of transmit modules, wherein the power supplied to the first group of transmit modules is different from the power supplied to the second group of transmit modules.

21. A method of controlling power consumption of an array antenna system, comprising:

producing an electromagnetic signal for transmission from the array antenna system;

providing a first voltage signal to supply power to a first power amplifier that is configured to amplify the electromagnetic signal and provide the amplified electromagnetic signal to a first antenna element in the array antenna system for transmission; and

providing a second voltage signal to supply power to a second power amplifier that is configured to amplify the electromagnetic signal and provide the amplified electromagnetic signal to a second antenna element in the array antenna system,

wherein the first and second voltage signal are provided by a DC power level based on a communication state associated with the array antenna system,

and wherein the provided DC power level is less than the power needed to simultaneously operate the first and second power amplifiers at full power.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

providing a third voltage signal to control the application of an attenuation to the electromagnetic signal.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein providing the first voltage signal to supply power to the first power amplifier includes providing a voltage signal to adjust the drain-to-source voltage of the first power amplifier.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein providing the first voltage signal to supply power to the power amplifier includes providing a voltage signal to adjust the gate-to-source voltage of the first power amplifier.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the array antenna system is a phased array antenna system.