Multi-beam active phased array architecture

• US 8,160,530 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2010
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Inventors: Corman, David W., Zienkewicz, Rob, Saunders, David R
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Blane J
• Application Number:
  US12/759,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20100261440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 455/269, 455/272, 455/273, 455/275, 455/276.1, 455/277.1, 455/280, 455/281, 455/286, 455/288, 455/289, 455/290, 455/291, 455/63.4, 455/562.1, 455/575.7, 455/107, 455/120, 455/121, 343/756, 343/793, 343/853, 343/878, 343/700.MS
• US Class Current: 455/276.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06G 7/12 Arrangements for performing computing operations, e.g. operational amplifiers amplifiers in general H03F; adapted for telemeasuring or for indicating or recording the results of the measurement G01D1/10, G01D1/16; for fuzzy computing G06N7/02
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/242 Polarisation converters
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/34 by electrical means active lenses or reflecting arrays H01Q3/46
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/36 with variable phase-shifters
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 11/36 Networks for connecting several sources or loads, working on the same frequency band, to a common load or source phase shifters providing two or more output signals H03H11/22

Abstract

In an exemplary embodiment, a phased array antenna comprises multiple subcircuits in communication with multiple radiating elements. The radio frequency signals are adjusted for both polarization control and beam steering. In a receive embodiment, multiple RF signals are received and combined into at least one receive beam output. In a transmit embodiment, at least one transmit beam input is divided and transmitted through multiple radiating elements. In an exemplary embodiment, the phased array antenna provides multi-beam formation over multiple operating frequency bands. The wideband nature of the active components allows for operation over multiple frequency bands simultaneously. Furthermore, the antenna polarization may be static or dynamically controlled at the subarray or radiating element level.

Claims

1. An active antenna polarizer configured to transmit an RF signal to a radiating element, the active antenna polarizer comprising:

an active splitter configured to receive an RF input signal, and wherein the active splitter divides the RF input signal into a first RF intermediate signal and a second RF intermediate signal;

a first vector generator configured to receive, from the active splitter, and adjust the phase of the first RF intermediate signal; and

a second vector generator in parallel with the first vector generator, wherein the second vector generator is configured to receive, from the active splitter, and adjust the phase of the second RF intermediate signal;

wherein the first vector generator and the second vector generator individually comprise a first quadrant select in parallel with a second quadrant select and a first variable gain amplifier in parallel with a second variable gain amplifier.

2. The active antenna polarizer of claim 1, wherein the active antenna polarizer is configured to transmit an RF output signal with linear polarization from the first vector generator to the radiating element.

3. The active antenna polarizer of claim 1, wherein the active antenna polarizer is configured to transmit a differentially fed RF output signal with linear polarization from the first vector generator to the radiating element.

4. The active antenna polarizer of claim 1, wherein the active antenna polarizer is configured to transmit an RF output signal with dual linear polarization from the first and second vector generators to the radiating element.

5. The active antenna polarizer of claim 1, wherein the active antenna polarizer is configured to transmit a differentially fed RF output signal with at least one of dual linear polarization, circular polarization, and elliptical polarization from the first and second vector generators to the radiating element.

6. An active antenna polarizer configured to receive an RF signal from a radiating element, the active antenna polarizer comprising:

a first vector generator in parallel with a second vector generator, wherein at least one of the first vector generator and the second vector generator is configured to receive at least one RF input signal from the radiating element;

wherein the at least one of the first vector generator and the second vector generator is configured to adjust the phase of the at least one RF input signal and generate at least one intermediate RF signal, wherein the first vector generator and the second vector generator individually comprise a first quadrant select in parallel with a second quadrant select and a first variable gain amplifier in parallel with a second variable gain amplifier; and

an active power combiner configured to receive and combine the at least one intermediate RF signal from the at least one of the first vector generator and the second vector generator, and wherein the active power combiner generates an RF output signal.

7. The active antenna polarizer of claim 6, wherein the at least one RF input signal received from the radiating element is an RF input signal with linear polarization received at the first vector generator.

8. The active antenna polarizer of claim 6, wherein the at least one RF input signal received from the radiating element is a differentially fed RF input signal with linear polarization received at the first vector generator.

9. The active antenna polarizer of claim 6, wherein the at least one RF input signal received from the radiating element is an RF input signal with dual linear polarization received at the first and second vector generators.

10. The active antenna polarizer of claim 6, wherein the at least one RF input signal received from the radiating element is a differentially fed RF input signal with at least one of dual linear polarization, circular polarization, and elliptical polarization received at the first and second vector generators.

11. A multiple radiating element transmitter circuit comprising:

at least two subcircuits individually in communication with at least two radiating elements;

a network of active splitters configured to divide at least one input beam and communicate the divided input beam to the at least two subcircuits; and

wherein each of the at least two subcircuits comprises at least one vector generator having a first quadrant select in parallel with a second quadrant select and a first variable gain amplifier in parallel with a second variable gain amplifier, and wherein each of the at least two subcircuits is configured to perform polarization tracking and beam steering, and wherein each of the at least two subcircuits communicate a signal to the respective at least two radiating elements for transmission.

12. The multiple radiating element transmitter circuit of claim 11, wherein the multiple radiating element transmitter circuit is configured to transmit a single beam, wherein the at least two subcircuits individually comprise:

an active power splitter configured to divide the divided input beam received from the network of active splitters, and wherein the active power splitter generates a first subcircuit signal and a second subcircuit signal; and

a first vector generator configured to receive the first subcircuit signal and a second vector generator configured to receive the second subcircuit signal, and wherein the first vector generator and the second vector generator are configured to perform the polarization tracking and beam steering.

13. The multiple radiating element transmitter circuit of claim 11, wherein the multiple radiating element transmitter circuit is configured to transmit two beams, wherein the at least two subcircuits individually comprise:

a first pair of vector generators in parallel configured to individually receive an input signal from the network of active splitters and perform beam steering on the input signal;

an active power combiner configured to receive and combine two signals from the first pair of vector generators, and wherein the active power combiner generates a combined output signal;

an active power splitter configured to receive the combined output signal and generate a first subcircuit signal and a second subcircuit signal; and

a second pair of vector generators in parallel configured to receive the first subcircuit signal and the second subcircuit signal respectively, and wherein the second pair of vector generators are configured to perform polarization tracking.

14. A multiple radiating element receiver circuit comprising:

at least two subcircuits individually in communication with at least two radiating elements; and

a network of active combiners configured to receive intermediate signals from the at least two subcircuits and combine the intermediate signals into at least one output beam;

wherein each of the at least two subcircuits comprises at least one vector generator having a first quadrant select in parallel with a second quadrant select and a first variable gain amplifier in parallel with a second variable gain amplifier, and wherein each of the at least two subcircuits is configured to perform polarization tracking and beam steering on a signal received from the respective at least two radiating elements.

15. The multiple radiating element receiver circuit of claim 14, wherein the multiple radiating element receiver circuit is configured to form a single beam, wherein the at least two subcircuits individually comprise:

a first vector generator configured to receive a first signal from the respective at least two radiating elements and a second vector generator configured to receive a second signal from the respective at least two radiating elements, and wherein the first vector generator and the second vector generator are configured to perform the polarization tracking and beam steering; and

an active power combiner configured to combine two signals from the first and second vector generators, and wherein the active power combiner generates a combined output signal for communication to the network of active combiners.

16. The multiple radiating element receiver circuit of claim 14, wherein the multiple radiating element receiver circuit is configured to form two beams, wherein the at least two subcircuits individually comprise:

a first pair of vector generators in parallel configured to individually receive a first RF input signal and a second RF input signal from the respective at least two radiating elements, and wherein the first pair of vector generators are configured to perform polarization tracking on the first and second RF input signals;

an active power combiner configured to receive and combine the first and second RF input signals from the first pair of vector generators, and wherein the active power combiner generates a combined output signal;

an active power splitter configured to receive the combined output signal and generate a first subcircuit signal and a second subcircuit signal; and

a second pair of vector generators in parallel configured to receive the first subcircuit signal and the second subcircuit signal respectively, and wherein the second pair of vector generators are configured to perform beam steering.

17. A multiple radiating element transmitter circuit comprising:

at least two subcircuits individually in communication with at least two radiating elements;

a network of active splitters configured to divide at least one input beam and communicate the divided input beam to the at least two subcircuits; and

wherein each of the at least two subcircuits is configured to perform polarization tracking and beam steering, and wherein each of the at least two subcircuits communicate a signal to the respective at least two radiating elements for transmission; and

wherein the multiple radiating element transmitter circuit is configured to transmit two beams, wherein the at least two subcircuits individually comprise;

a first pair of vector generators in parallel configured to individually receive an input signal from the network of active splitters and perform beam steering on the input signal;

an active power combiner configured to receive and combine two signals from the first pair of vector generators, and wherein the active power combiner generates a combined output signal;

an active power splitter configured to receive the combined output signal and generate a first subcircuit signal and a second subcircuit signal; and

a second pair of vector generators in parallel configured to receive the first subcircuit signal and the second subcircuit signal respectively, and wherein the second pair of vector generators are configured to perform polarization tracking.

18. A multiple radiating element receiver circuit comprising:

at least two subcircuits individually in communication with at least two radiating elements; and

a network of active combiners configured to receive intermediate signals from the at least two subcircuits and combine the intermediate signals into at least one output beam;

wherein each of the at least two subcircuits is configured to perform polarization tracking and beam steering on a signal received from the respective at least two radiating elements; and

wherein the multiple radiating element receiver circuit is configured to form two beams, wherein the at least two subcircuits individually comprise;

a first pair of vector generators in parallel configured to individually receive a first RF input signal and a second RF input signal from the respective at least two radiating elements, and wherein the first pair of vector generators are configured to perform polarization tracking on the first and second RF input signals;

an active power combiner configured to receive and combine the first and second RF input signals from the first pair of vector generators, and wherein the active power combiner generates a combined output signal;

an active power splitter configured to receive the combined output signal and generate a first subcircuit signal and a second subcircuit signal; and

a second pair of vector generators in parallel configured to receive the first subcircuit signal and the second subcircuit signal respectively, and wherein the second pair of vector generators are configured to perform beam steering.