Compact high efficiency intregrated direct wave mobile communications terminal

• US 8,810,464 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2012
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anderson Aerospace
• Original Assignee: Anderson Aerospace
• Inventors: Anderson, Richard B., Flannery, Matthew, Rochat, Geoffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Karacsony, Robert
• Application Number:
  US13/469,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20120286990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 343/753, 343/754, 343/909, 343/911.R
• US Class Current: 343/754
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/02 Refracting or diffracting devices, e.g. lens, prism
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/16 curved in two dimensions, e.g. paraboloidal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/10 using reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/08 for varying two co-ordinates of the orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service

Abstract

A compact mobile satellite communications system, including an integrated direct wave antenna and a low profile precision antenna positioning system, where the integrated direct wave antenna is configured to provide the minimum swept volume when steered and pointed such that it moves completely within a ten inch sphere, which provides an advantage when the system is mounted on a moving vehicle such as an aircraft, and the integrated direct wave antenna includes a refractive component as well as down conversion electronics to provide a L band signal output.

Claims

1. A mobile communications system comprising:

a compact high-efficiency integrated direct wave mobile communications terminal,

a non-symmetric multi-curve microwave refractor,

a low profile positioning system,

a multi-encoder off center precision positioning technique,

a position control method using synthetic counting with a gray scale encoder

a multi-stage compact Low Noise Block-downconverter (LNB).

2. A mobile communications system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the terminal provides an integrated refractor, mount, and frequency conversion component.

3. A mobile communications system as claimed in claim 2 wherein satellite signals are collected, amplified and transmitted to the frequency conversion component without the use of reflections.

4. A mobile communications system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the refractor is made from Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE).

5. A mobile communications system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the refractor is tuned and focused through a combination of non-symmetric curved surfaces.

6. A mobile communications system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the refractor is held in position with a horn shaped structure.

7. A mobile communications system as claimed in claim 1 wherein a signal is transmitted to electronics without a horn.

8. A mobile communications system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said Low Noise Block-downconverter is integrated into the compact antenna terminal.

9. A mobile communications system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said Low Noise Block-downconverter is modular.

10. A mobile communications system as claimed in claim 1 wherein a low profile compact positioning system is used to point the integrated direct wave terminal.

11. A mobile communications system as claimed in claim 1 wherein two off center encoders are used for precise position sensing.

12. A mobile communications system as claimed in claim 1 wherein a synthetic counting encoder uses Brushless Direct Current motor Hall-effect sensor patterns, and from said patterns provides both counting and direction information for relative position control in combination with an absolute Gray encoder.

13. A mobile communications system as claimed in claim 1 wherein an elevation slip ring includes integrated position limit sensing.