Dual-polarized multi-band, full duplex, interleaved waveguide antenna aperture

• US 8,587,492 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2010
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Inventors: Runyon, Donald Lawson
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, THO GIA
• Application Number:
  US12/758,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20100259346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 343/753, 343/771, 343/776, 333/21.A
• US Class Current: 343/771
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/02 Waveguide horns
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001

Abstract

The subject of this disclosure may relate generally to systems, devices, and methods using interleaved waveguide elements. Specifically, systems, devices, and methods using a dual-polarized broadband, multi-frequency interleaved waveguide antenna aperture are presented. In one exemplary embodiment, a first plurality of waveguide elements are configured to communicate in a first frequency band. In this exemplary embodiment, a second plurality of waveguide elements are configured to communicate in a second frequency band. In one exemplary embodiment the first plurality of waveguide elements and the second plurality of waveguide elements are integrally coupled to a printed circuit board.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first plurality of waveguide elements;

wherein the first plurality of waveguide elements are configured to communicate in a first frequency band;

a second plurality of waveguide elements interleaved in a housing with the first plurality of waveguide elements;

wherein the second plurality of waveguide elements are configured to communicate in a second frequency band;

wherein the first plurality of waveguide elements and the second plurality of waveguide elements are integrally coupled to a printed circuit board; and

wherein the system is capable of full duplex operation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is coupled to a phased array reflector dish RF antenna system.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said RF antenna system does not comprise an OMT, polarizer, and feed horn.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said RF antenna system is one of a point to point system and a satellite to terrestrial consumer terminal system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of waveguide elements operate in at least one of a transmit frequency range and a receive frequency range;

and wherein the second plurality of waveguide elements operate in at least one of a transmit frequency range and a receive frequency range.

6. The system of claim 1,wherein the system is configured to operate in a plurality of transmit frequency bands and a plurality of receive frequency bands.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of waveguide elements communicate with signals which are at least one of vertical polarization, horizontal polarization, right hand elliptical polarization, left hand elliptical polarization, right hand circular polarization, and left hand circular polarization and wherein the second plurality of waveguide elements communicate with signals which are at least one of vertical polarization, horizontal polarization, right hand elliptical polarization, left hand elliptical polarization, right hand circular polarization, and left hand circular polarization.

8. The system to claim 1, wherein at least one of (a) the first plurality of waveguide elements are ridge loaded waveguide radiating elements;

and (h) the second plurality of waveguide elements are ridge loaded waveguide radiating elements.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured so that a transmitted signal and a received signal have substantially co-located phase centers.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of waveguide elements comprise an aperture plate.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of waveguide elements are one of equal size as compared with the second plurality of waveguide elements and unequal size as compared with the second plurality of waveguide elements.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of waveguide elements are sized to filter signals other than the transmit signals and the second plurality of waveguide elements are sized to filter signals other than the receive signals.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a high pass filter, wherein the high pass filter is configured to reject HPA noise.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is at least partially implemented integral to a MMIC chip.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of waveguide elements operate in a frequency between about 14 GHz and 31.5 GHz and wherein the second plurality of waveguide elements operate in a frequency between about 10.7 GHz and 21.2 GHz.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is coupled to a panel antenna.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is coupled to a phased array feed.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a plurality of single mode waveguide elements which may be combined to communicate in a plurality of polarizations.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured for broad band operation.

20. A method for communicating RF signals comprising:

transmitting a first signal via a first plurality of waveguide elements;

wherein the first plurality of waveguide elements are configured to communicate in a first frequency band;

receiving a second signal via a second plurality of waveguide elements interleaved with the first plurality of waveguide elements in a housing;

wherein the second plurality of waveguide elements are configured to communicate in a second frequency band;

wherein the first plurality of waveguide elements and the second plurality of waveguide elements are integrally coupled to a printed circuit board; and

wherein the RF signals may be communicated in full duplex operation.