Low profile antenna for satellite communication

• US 7,999,750 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2009
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Starling Advanced Communications Ltd.
• Inventors: Berdnikova, Valentina, Mansour, David, Erlich, Simha
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Tan
• Application Number:
  US12/461,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20090295656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 343/757, 343/758, 343/763, 343/766, 343/882
• US Class Current: 343/757
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/04 for varying one co-ordinate of the orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/08 for varying two co-ordinates of the orientation

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.

Claims

1. An antenna system comprising:

at least two antenna arrangements, each having at least one port, and all ports connected through transmission lines in a combining/splitting circuit,

wherein said antenna arrangements form a spatial element array able to track a target in an elevation plane by mechanically rotating the antenna arrangements about transverse axes giving rise to generation of respective elevation angles and changing the respective distances between said axes in a predefined relationship at least with the respective elevation angles;

said combining/splitting circuit provides phasing and signal delay in order to maintain preconfigured radiating parameters.

2. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein projections of said antenna arrangements on a plane perpendicular to the elevation direction are touching or overlapping.

3. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein said antenna arrangements are planar element arrays.

4. The antenna system according to claim 3, wherein said planar element arrays are planar phased arrays.

5. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein said antenna arrangements are conformal element arrays.

6. The antenna system according to claim 5, wherein said conformal element arrays are conformal phased arrays.

7. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein said respective elevation angles are identical (e) for all antenna arrangements and said respective distances are identical (D) between each neighboring axes.

8. The antenna system of claim 7, wherein said relationship substantially complies with the following equation:

D=1/sin(e)*W

where D represents the distance between said axes, e represents said elevation angle, and W represents a width of each antenna arrangement.

9. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein said arrangements provide either or both of transmit and receive modes.

10. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein each one of said antenna arrangements consists of more than one planar element array antenna module.

11. The antenna system according to claim 10, wherein said planar element array antenna modules are planar phase array antenna modules.

12. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the relationship between the respective distances and the respective elevation angles is non-linear chosen to maximize gain and minimize side lobes for a whole field of view, and performing selected overlapping of projections towards the target for lower elevation angles.

13. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein said target being a selected satellite, and wherein said antenna is configured to be fitted on mobile vehicle, for communicating with satellite signals during stationary and moving states of said vehicle.

14. The antenna system according to claim 13, wherein said vehicle being any of:

train, bus, SUV, RV, boat, car or aircraft.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein said antenna is configured to be fitted on a mobile vehicle, for receiving satellite signals during stationary and moving states of said vehicle.

16. An antenna system including:

at least two antenna arrangements mounted on a common rotary platform, using a carriage for each arrangement which provides mechanical bearing for an axis perpendicular to the elevation plane of the antenna arrangement, to thereby provide its elevation movement;

wherein the axes of rotation of all antenna arrangements are parallel each to other;

two rails joined with the carriages are mounted on the rotary platform at their bottom side, and

driving means providing linear guided movement of the axes of rotation in direction perpendicular to the axes of rotation of the antenna arrangements.

17. An antenna assembly for satellite tracking system comprising:

at least two antenna arrangements forming a spatial element array capable of dynamic tracking a target in an elevation plane by mechanically dynamically rotating the antenna arrangements about transverse axes giving rise to generation of respective elevation angles, and dynamically changing the respective distances between said axes while maintaining a predefined relationship between said distances and respective elevation angles;

said antenna arrangement each having at least one port, and all ports connected to at least one combining/splitting circuit providing phasing and signal delay in order to maintain preconfigured radiating parameters.

18. The antenna assembly of claim 17, wherein projections of said antenna arrangements on a plane perpendicular to the elevation direction are substantially touching or overlapping.

19. The antenna assembly of claim 17, wherein projections of said antenna arrangements on a plane perpendicular to the elevation direction have at most small gaps while maintaining preconfigured side lobe parameters.

20. The antenna assembly of claim 17, wherein said antenna arrangements are planar element arrays.

21. The antenna assembly of claim 20, wherein said planar element arrays being planar phased arrays.

22. The antenna assembly of claim 17, wherein said antenna arrangements are conformal element arrays.

23. The antenna assembly of claim 22, wherein said conformal element arrays being conformal phased arrays.

24. The antenna assembly of claim 17, wherein, during said dynamic tracking, said respective elevation angles are substantially identical (e) for all antenna arrangements, and said respective distances are substantially identical (D) between each neighboring axes.

25. The antenna assembly of claim 17, wherein said relationship substantially complies with the following equation:

D=1/sin(e)*W

where D represents the distance between said axes, e represents said elevation angle, and W represents a width of each antenna arrangement.

26. The antenna assembly of claim 17, wherein said arrangements provide either or both of transmit and receive modes.

27. The antenna assembly of claim 17, wherein each one of said antenna arrangements consists of more than one planar element array antenna module.

28. The antenna assembly of claim 27, wherein said planar element array antenna modules being planar phase array antenna modules.

29. The antenna assembly of claim 17, wherein the relationship between the respective distances and the respective elevation angles is non-linear chosen to maximize gain and minimize side lobes for a whole field of view, and performing selected overlapping of projections towards the target for lower elevation angles.

30. The antenna assembly of claim 17, wherein the relationship between the respective distances and the respective elevation angles is configured to vary dynamically to optimize gain and side lobes for a whole field of view.

31. The antenna assembly of claim 17, wherein the relationship between the respective distances and the respective elevation angles is fixed to optimize projections towards the target for certain elevation angles.

32. The antenna assembly of claim 17, wherein said target being a selected satellite, and wherein said antenna is configured to be fitted on mobile vehicle, for communicating with satellite signals during stationary and moving states of said vehicle.

33. The antenna assembly of claim 32, wherein said vehicle being any of train, bus, SUV, RV, boat, car, truck, aircraft or farm vehicle.

34. The antenna assembly of claim 33, wherein said assembly is configured to be fitted on mobile vehicle, for receiving satellite signal during stationary and moving states of said vehicle.

35. An antenna assembly for satellite tracking system including at least two antenna arrangements mounted on a common rotary platform, using a carriage for each arrangement which provides mechanical bearing for an axis perpendicular to the elevation plane of the antenna arrangement, to thereby provide its dynamic elevation movement;

wherein the axes of rotation of all antenna arrangements are parallel each to other; and

two rails joined with the carriages are mounted on the rotary platform at their bottom side, driving means providing linear guided movement of the axes of rotation in direction perpendicular to the axes of rotation of the antenna arrangements in a predefined relationship at least with the respective elevation movement.

36. An antenna assembly for satellite tracking system comprising:

at least two antenna arrangements each accommodating a transverse axis;

a mechanism for rotating the arrangements in order to track a target in an azimuth plane, and rotating each arrangement about its transverse axis in order to dynamically track the target in an elevation plane,

the system further includes at least one of the following;

a) a mechanism for dynamically changing distance between the transverse axes so as to maintain substantially no gaps between antenna apertures as viewed for any elevation angle within selectable elevation angle range;

b) a mechanism for dynamically changing distance between the transverse axes, so as to maintain substantially no gaps between antenna apertures for any location where a target is in the field of view of the antenna system; and

c) a mechanism for dynamically changing distance between the transverse axes, while maintaining antenna gain and side lobes level within a predefined range for any elevation angle within a predefined range of elevation angles.

37. The antenna assembly of claim 36, wherein said mechanism for moving the transverse axes one with respect to the other, while maintaining antenna gain and side lobes level within a predefined range for any elevation angle within a predefined range of elevation angles is configured to move the transverse axes one with respect to the other, while maintaining antenna gain and side lobes level substantially the same for any elevation angle within a predefined range of elevation angles.