Real-time autonomous beam steering array for satellite communications
First Claim
1. A method of autonomously steering transmitted beams of signals comprising:
- receiving incoming signals from an unknown direction,mixing the incoming signals,determining phases of the incoming signals,creating uplink signals in transmitters,mixing the return signals with incoming phase determinations, andtransmitting the return signals in the direction of the incoming signals from transmitting antennas thereby autonomously steering the beams of signals in real-time.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A phased array satellite communication (SATCOM) system for ground stations receives information signals and a beam from a satellite and autonomously steers communication signals by phase information toward a satellite extracted from the received satellite beam. The new phased array eliminates the need for phase shifters to control a beam. The new phased array satellite communications system avoids delay in digital signal processing or feedback systems to find satellite locations, enabling autonomous real-time electronic beam steering with no delay. The new system is also used to handle signals from and to multiple satellites simultaneously. The new system is useful in other applications where an enhanced point-to-point communication link is required.
23 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of autonomously steering transmitted beams of signals comprising:
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receiving incoming signals from an unknown direction, mixing the incoming signals, determining phases of the incoming signals, creating uplink signals in transmitters, mixing the return signals with incoming phase determinations, and transmitting the return signals in the direction of the incoming signals from transmitting antennas thereby autonomously steering the beams of signals in real-time. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
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2. A method of autonomously steering transmitted beams of signals comprising:
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receiving incoming signals from an unknown direction, processing the incoming signals, determining phases of the incoming signals, creating uplink signals in transmitters, mixing the return signals with incoming phase determinations, and transmitting the return signals in the direction of the incoming signals from transmitting antennas, wherein the receiving the incoming signals further comprises separating beacon frequencies from information signal frequencies, conducting the beacon frequency in a beacon channel and conducting the information signal frequency in a communication channel, subjecting the separated beacon frequencies to a voltage controlled oscillator and a phase locked loop in the beacon channel of a beacon signal and mixing the beacon signal and an information signal, wherein the creating uplink signals and the mixing uplink signals with incoming phase determinations further comprises mixing local oscillator signals generated from the beacon signal with uplink information signals from an intermediate frequency signal splitter.
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3. A method of autonomously steering transmitted beams of signals comprising:
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receiving incoming signals from an unknown direction, processing the incoming signals, determining phases of the incoming signals, creating uplink signals in transmitters, mixing the return signals with incoming phase determinations, and transmitting the return signals in the direction of the incoming signals from transmitting antennas, wherein the processing further comprises amplifying the signals with a low noise amplifier, down-converting the incoming signals to a lower frequency, tapping of a beacon signal in the incoming signals through a SAW filter into a beacon channel, further down-converting the beacon signal to apply to a phase locked loop integrated with a voltage controlled oscillator, and forming a LO signal with the beacon phase, mixing the phase beacon signal with the incoming signal in a communication channel and transferring the mixed signals to an intermediate frequency combiner. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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- 8. An autonomous beam steering system comprising a receiver array having receivers and receiving antennas for receiving downlink signals, transmitter arrays having transmitters and transmitting antennas for directing uplink signals in a direction of the incoming beacon signal, the receivers having receiver components for eliminating angle dependency, mixed signals provided by the components and separated signals provided by the components, the transmitters having transmitter components for adding directional features to the uplink signals for steering a beam of the uplink signals in a direction of the incoming beacon signal.
- 9. An autonomous beam steering system comprising a receiver array having receivers and receiving antennas for receiving downlink signals transmitter arrays having transmitters and transmitting antennas for directing uplink signals in a direction of the incoming beacon signal, the receivers having receiver components for eliminating angle dependency, the transmitters having transmitter components for adding directional features to the uplink signals for steering a beam of the uplink signals in a direction of the incoming beacon signal, wherein the receivers have low noise amplifiers connected to the receiving antennas and down-converters connected to the low noise amplifiers, beacon channels and communications channels connected to the down-converters, SAW filters, second down-converter and phase locked loop circuits serially connected in the beacon channel, mixers connected to the communication channel and the beacon channel for mixing outputs of the channels and an intermediate frequency combiner for combining an intermediate frequency with the mixed output.
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14. Real-time autonomous beam steering apparatus comprising:
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a receiver for receiving inbound beams from supply sources, the inbound beams comprising signals along an incident direction, a transmitter for transmitting outbound signals along the incident direction, the receiver comprising mixers signals in the inbound beams and further comprising separators for separating, splitting and phase-conjugating the signals in the inbound beams and providing output signals to the transmitter, and the transmitter comprising devices for mixing the output signals supplied by the receiver and transmitting outbound signals. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification