GPS antenna array and system for adaptively suppressing multiple interfering signals in azimuth and elevation

• US 8,049,667 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2009
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Incorporated (BAE Systems Plc)
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Incorporated (BAE Systems Plc)
• Inventors: Lackey, Raymond J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCGUE, FRANK J
• Application Number:
  US12/378,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20100207811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 342/368
• US Class Current: 342/368
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/21 Interference related issues ; Issues related to cross-correlation, spoofing or other methods of denial of service
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/35 Constructional details or hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/293 one unit or more being an array of identical aerial elements adaptive arrays H01Q3/2605
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2617 Array of identical elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/16 with feed intermediate between the extremities of the antenna, e.g. centre-fed dipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/40 Element having extended radiating surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength

Abstract

An antenna system has N antenna units stacked on a mast. Each unit has elements for responding to, e.g., GPS signals, and a phasing network that produces mutually orthogonal primary and auxiliary pattern modes at corresponding mode ports of the unit. A number of power dividers are each associated with a different mode, and each divider has N input ports coupled to the associated mode port of a corresponding antenna unit. The power divider associated with the primary pattern mode produces a reference beam and an auxiliary beam, and remaining power dividers produce different auxiliary beams. All beams have approximately both a common phase center and a common group delay center. An adaptive processor combines the reference and selected auxiliary beams to obtain a composite antenna reception pattern in which nulls are inserted at certain angles to suppress interfering signals, without degrading authentic signals arriving at other angles.

Claims

1. An antenna system, comprising:

a mast having an axis and arranged to be fixed at a certain position with respect to a surrounding ground area, and to extend vertically above the ground area;

a number (N) of antenna units each including a base supported along the length of the mast with a determined spacing from one antenna unit to another antenna unit in the axial direction of the mast;

each antenna unit includes a number of antenna elements mounted on and disposed about the periphery of the base of the unit for responding to radio frequency (RF) signals within a certain wavelength band, a number of mode ports on the antenna unit including a primary pattern mode port and one or more auxiliary pattern mode ports, and an associated phasing network disposed on or within the base of the antenna unit and coupled to the antenna elements on the base of the unit, wherein the phasing network is configured to produce a number (M) of mutually orthogonal antenna pattern modes including a primary pattern mode at the primary pattern mode port of the antenna unit, wherein the primary pattern mode corresponds to a desired signal response in the absence of an interfering signal incident on the antenna system, and one or more auxiliary pattern modes at corresponding ones of the auxiliary pattern mode ports of the antenna unit, wherein the auxiliary pattern modes have azimuthal RF carrier phase progressions that differ from one another and from that of the primary pattern mode;

M radio frequency (RF) power dividers each of which is associated with a different one of the M antenna pattern modes produced by the phasing networks of the N antenna units, wherein each power divider has N input ports each of which is coupled to the associated pattern mode port of a different one of the antenna units;

the input ports of a first power divider are coupled to the primary pattern mode ports of the antenna units, and the first power divider is configured to produce at least a corresponding primary or reference beam at a reference port of the divider, and, optionally, an auxiliary beam at an auxiliary port of the divider, and the input ports of second power dividers are coupled to the auxiliary pattern mode ports of the antenna units, wherein the second power dividers are configured to produce corresponding auxiliary beams at corresponding auxiliary ports of the dividers; and

an adaptive processor coupled to the reference port of the first power divider and to the auxiliary ports of the first and the second power dividers, wherein the processor is configured to combine the reference beam and selected ones of the auxiliary beams produced by the dividers to obtain a reception pattern for the antenna system having one or more nulls at determined angles in both elevation and azimuth to suppress interfering signals arriving at the antenna system at said angles.

2. An antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the antenna units are each constructed and arranged substantially identical with one another, so that the reference and the auxiliary beams have approximately a common phase center and a common group delay center.

3. An antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the adaptive processor is configured to combine the reference and the auxiliary beams subtractively to produce multiple nulls in the reception pattern of the antenna system.

4. An antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the antenna elements of the antenna units are configured to respond to RF signals transmitted at a wavelength corresponding to signals used for global positioning or navigation.

5. An antenna system according to claim 4, wherein the signals are transmitted from GPS satellites.

6. An antenna system according to claim 1, wherein each of the antenna units has four or more antenna elements.

7. An antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the antenna elements of the antenna units comprise dipoles.

8. An antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the orthogonal pattern modes produced by the phasing network of each antenna unit are among those of a group comprising a progressive phase omni-directional (PPO) pattern, a uniform phase omnidirectional (UPO) pattern, and a clover leaf pattern.

9. An antenna system according to claim 1, wherein each of the antenna units has eight antenna elements, and the orthogonal pattern modes produced by the phasing network of each antenna unit are among those of a group comprising a 45 degree PPO pattern, a 90 degree PPO pattern, a 135 degree PPO pattern, a UPO pattern, and a clover leaf pattern.

10. A differential global positioning system (DGPS) including at least one antenna system according to claim 1, a GPS receiver coupled to the antenna system, a processing system coupled to the receiver and operative to compare a global position calculated by the receiver with a known reference position and to produce a resulting error signal, and a transmission system coupled to the processing system for transmitting the error signal to an aircraft for landing approach guidance.

11. A DGPS according to claim 10, wherein the surrounding ground area at which the mast structure of the antenna system is arranged to be fixed is in the vicinity of a ground airport runway.

12. A DGPS according to claim 10, wherein the surrounding ground area at which the mast structure of the antenna system is arranged to be fixed is in the vicinity of a landing zone on an aircraft carrier.

13. A collinear antenna array, comprising:

a mast having an axis and arranged to be fixed at a certain position with respect to a surrounding ground area, and to extend vertically above the ground area;

a number (N) of antenna units each including a base supported along the length of the mast with a determined spacing from one antenna unit to another antenna unit in the axial direction of the mast; and

each antenna unit includes a number of antenna elements mounted on and disposed about the periphery of the base of the unit for responding to radio frequency (RF) signals within a certain wavelength band, a number of mode ports on the antenna unit including a primary pattern mode port and one or more auxiliary pattern mode ports, and an associated phasing network disposed on or within the base of the antenna unit and coupled to the antenna elements on the base of the unit, wherein the phasing network is configured to produce a number (M) of mutually orthogonal antenna pattern modes including a primary pattern mode at the primary pattern mode port of the antenna unit, wherein the primary pattern mode corresponds to a desired signal response in the absence of an interfering signal incident on the antenna array, and one or more auxiliary pattern modes at corresponding ones of the auxiliary pattern mode ports of the antenna unit, wherein the auxiliary pattern modes have azimuthal RF carrier phase progressions that differ from one another and from that of the primary pattern mode.

14. An antenna array according to claim 13, wherein N is at least three.

15. An antenna array according to claim 13, wherein M is at least three.

16. An antenna array according to claim 13, wherein the antenna elements of the antenna units are configured to respond to RF signals transmitted at a wavelength corresponding to signals used for global positioning or navigation.

17. An antenna array according to claim 13, wherein each antenna unit has four or more identical antenna elements selected from the group comprising dipoles and monopoles, the antenna elements are disposed symmetrically about the periphery of the base of each unit, and the antenna elements of a given unit align with the antenna elements of a next adjacent unit on the mast in the direction of the mast axis.

18. An antenna array according to claim 13, wherein the antenna units are each constructed and arranged substantially identical with one another, so that the primary and the auxiliary pattern modes have approximately a common phase center and a common group delay center.