Low profile antenna for satellite communication
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An antenna comprising:
- a support frame;
a plurality of antenna panels movably coupled to the support frame and having a variable beam direction relative to the support frame; and
at least one actuator adapted to change the beam direction of the plurality of antenna panels, so as to track a transmitter or receiver, such that each pair of adjacent antenna panels substantially border each other as projected onto a plane perpendicular to the beam direction, and wherein when viewed from a predetermined range of the beam direction, none of the antenna panels is covered partially or totally by any other panel.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A low profile receiving and/or transmitting antenna includes an array of antenna elements that collect and coherently combine millimeter wave or other radiation. The antenna elements are physically configured so that radiation at a predetermined wavelength band impinging on the antenna at a particular angle of incidence is collected by the elements and collected in-phase. Two or more mechanical rotators may be disposed to alter the angle of incidence of incoming or outgoing radiation to match the particular angle of incidence.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. An antenna comprising:
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a support frame; a plurality of antenna panels movably coupled to the support frame and having a variable beam direction relative to the support frame; and at least one actuator adapted to change the beam direction of the plurality of antenna panels, so as to track a transmitter or receiver, such that each pair of adjacent antenna panels substantially border each other as projected onto a plane perpendicular to the beam direction, and wherein when viewed from a predetermined range of the beam direction, none of the antenna panels is covered partially or totally by any other panel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for receiving or transmitting electrical signals by an antenna, said method comprising:
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providing a plurality of antenna panels having variable beam directions; directing the beam directions of the antenna panels toward a transmitter or receiver, by at least one actuator; and changing the beam directions of the antenna panels to define a common beam direction, so as to track the transmitter or receiver, the common beam direction being changed such that each pair of adjacent antenna panels substantially border each other as projected onto a plane perpendicular to the common beam direction, and wherein, when viewed from a predetermined range of the common beam direction, none of the antenna panels is covered partially or totally by any other panel. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. An RF antenna array comprising:
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a plurality of panels, each panel carrying a sub-array of RF antenna elements defining an RF radiation pattern having a principal beam direction; at least one elevational angle driving mechanism; at least one azimuthal angle driving mechanism; at least one linear translation driving mechanism; each said panel being mounted for angular movement by an elevational angle driving mechanism about a respective one of parallel first axes so as to steer elevational angles of corresponding sub-array pattern beams along substantially parallel lines; each said panel also being mounted for movement by an azimuthal angle driving mechanism about a common second axis, substantially perpendicular to said first axes, so as to steer azimuthal angles of corresponding sub-array pattern beams; and at least one of said panels also being mounted for translational movement with respect to at least one other of said panels by a linear translation driving mechanism along a linear axis that is substantially perpendicular to said first axes and to said second axis. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of operating an RF antenna array, said method comprising:
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disposing a sub-array of RF antenna elements defining an RF radiation pattern having a principal beam direction over each of plural individually controllable panels; angularly moving each said panel about a respective one of parallel first axes so as to steer elevational angles of corresponding sub-array pattern beams along substantially parallel lines; angularly moving each said panel about a common second axis, substantially perpendicular to said first axes, so as to steer azimuthal angles of corresponding sub-array pattern beams; and translationally moving at least one of said panels with respect to at least one other of said panels along a linear axis that is substantially perpendicular to said first axes and to said second axis. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. An RF antenna array comprising:
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a plurality of panels, each panel carrying a sub-array of RE antenna elements defining an RF radiation pattern having a principal beam direction; each panel being mounted for coordinated movements in elevational angle, azimuthal angle and separation distance therebetween so as to track an RF target in elevation and azimuth while maintaining mutually parallel principal beam directions for said sub-arrays such that projections of adjacent sub-arrays taken along their respective parallel principal beam directions are approximately contiguous, without substantial gap or substantial overlap, over a range of elevational angles. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of operating an RF antenna array, said method comprising:
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disposing a sub-array of RF antenna elements defining an RF radiation pattern having a principal beam direction on each of plural panels; controlling coordinated movements of each panel in elevational angle, azimuthal angle and separation distance therebetween so as to track an RE target in elevation and azimuth while maintaining mutually parallel principal beam directions for said sub-array such that projections of adjacent sub-arrays taken along their respective parallel principal beam directions are approximately contiguous, without substantial gap or substantial overlap, over a range of elevational angles. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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Specification