Low-profile lens method and apparatus for mechanical steering of aperture antennas
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of directing a beam, comprising:
- generating a beam, wherein the beam has a first direction of travel;
receiving the beam at a first rotatable lens element, wherein the first rotatable lens element has at least first and second zones, and wherein the first zone has a different width than the second zone;
steering by the first zone of the first rotatable lens element a first discrete portion of the beam by a first amount; and
steering by the second zone of the first rotatable lens element a second discrete portion of the beam by the first amount, wherein after steering the beam by the first amount by the first and second zones of the first rotatable lens element, the beam has a second direction of travel.
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Abstract
A low-profile lens element for steering a beam is provided. Specifically, the low-profile lens element is mechanically rotatable such that a beam can be steered in any direction within three-dimensional space. The lens element may include a number of discrete portions for differentially delaying adjacent discrete portions of a beam in order to effect beam steering. These discrete portions may vary in width. In addition, multiple lens elements may be provided.
106 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of directing a beam, comprising:
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generating a beam, wherein the beam has a first direction of travel; receiving the beam at a first rotatable lens element, wherein the first rotatable lens element has at least first and second zones, and wherein the first zone has a different width than the second zone; steering by the first zone of the first rotatable lens element a first discrete portion of the beam by a first amount; and steering by the second zone of the first rotatable lens element a second discrete portion of the beam by the first amount, wherein after steering the beam by the first amount by the first and second zones of the first rotatable lens element, the beam has a second direction of travel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An antenna system, comprising:
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a base; a feed aperture, wherein the feed aperture is rotatable about a first axis with respect to the base, and wherein the feed aperture is tilted with respect to the first axis; a first rotatable lens element mounted adjacent the feed aperture, comprising; a first zone, wherein the first zone is operable to steer a first portion of a beam received by the first rotatable lens element by a first amount, wherein the first zone has a first width; a second zone, wherein the second zone is operable to steer a second portion of the beam or received by the first rotatable lens element by the first amount, wherein the second zone has a second width, and wherein the first and second widths are different. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A mechanically steered antenna, comprising:
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a base; a controller; a feed aperture rotatably mounted to the base, wherein the feed aperture can rotate about a first axis, and wherein the feed aperture is tilted in elevation; a first motor, wherein the first motor is operated by the controller to rotate the feed aperture about the first axis; a first rotatable lens, wherein the first rotatable lens includes a plurality of zones, wherein each of the plurality of zones has a width that is different than a width of an adjacent zone, and wherein each of the plurality of zones steers a beam by a first amount, wherein the first rotatable lens is rotatable with respect to the feed aperture, and wherein the first rotatable lens is orthogonal to a beam produced by the feed aperture; a second motor, wherein the second motor is operated by the controller to rotate the first rotatable lens about an axis defined by the beam produced by the feed aperture. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification