Integrated L/C/Ku band antenna with omni-directional coverage

• US 8,976,071 B1
• Filed: 05/13/2013
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Herting, Brian J., Paulsen, Lee M., Wolf, Jeremiah D., Doane, Jonathan P., ElSallal, Wajih A.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, GRAHAM P
• Application Number:
  US13/892,760
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 343/725
• US Class Current: 343/725
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/30 with feed to end of elongated active element, e.g. unipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence

Abstract

An integrated antenna system is disclosed which may include a first antenna sub-system. The integrated antenna system may further include a second antenna sub-system. The first antenna sub-system may be a Ku-band antenna sub-system. The second antenna sub-system may be one of: an L-band antenna sub-system or a C-band antenna sub-system. The second antenna sub-system may be tightly/seamlessly integrated with the first antenna sub-system, thereby providing a system with integrated antenna bands which provides omni-directional coverage.

Claims

1. An antenna system, comprising:

a first antenna sub-system, the first antenna sub-system being a Ku-band antenna sub-system, said Ku-band antenna sub-system including a Ku-band diplexer and a Ku-band antenna, said Ku-band diplexer being formed of a metal having dimensions of about two inches by one inch by one-half inch, said Ku-band antenna configured for being mounted upon said Ku-band diplexer, said Ku-band antenna including a Ku-band antenna body portion and a Ku-band feed network, said Ku-band antenna body portion being cylindrically-shaped, said Ku-band antenna body portion including a plurality of Ku-band radiating surfaces, a bottom surface, and a support surface, said bottom surface forming a bottom surface aperture, said Ku-band feed network including a Ku-band feed board configured for providing a feed to the Ku-band antenna, said Ku-band feed board forming an aperture; and

a second antenna sub-system, the second antenna sub-system being a C-band antenna sub-system, the C-band antenna sub-system including a C-band monopole and a C-band feed, said C-band monopole configured for being at least partially mounted upon said support surface of said Ku-band antenna body portion, said support surface of said Ku-band antenna body portion serving as a C-band ground plane for the C-band monopole, said C-band feed configured for being connected to the C-band antenna, said C-band feed further configured for being routed through the Ku-band antenna body portion, through the bottom surface aperture of said bottom surface, and through said aperture of said Ku-band feed board to the C-band monopole,

wherein the second antenna sub-system is integrated with the first antenna sub-system and said antenna system provides omni-directional coverage.

9. The antenna system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the antenna system is implemented as part of or with at least one of a Quint Networking Technology (QNT) system and a rover system.

10. The antenna system as claimed in claim 1, wherein integration of C-band antenna sub-system and said Ku-band antenna sub-system includes integration of the hardware and antenna bands.

11. The antenna system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said C-band feed is further configured for being orthogonally routed through the Ku-band antenna body portion and through said aperture of said Ku-band feed board to the C-band monopole.

2. An antenna system, comprising:

a Ku-band antenna sub-system, the Ku-band antenna sub-system including a Ku-band diplexer and a Ku-band antenna, said Ku-band diplexer being formed of a metal having dimensions of about two inches by one inch by one-half inch, said Ku-band antenna configured for being mounted upon said Ku-band diplexer, said Ku-band antenna including a Ku-band antenna body portion and a Ku-band feed network, said Ku-band antenna body portion including a plurality of Ku-band radiating surfaces, and a support surface, said Ku-band feed network including a Ku-band feed board configured for providing a feed to the Ku-band antenna; and

a C-band antenna sub-system, the C-band antenna sub-system including a C-band monopole and a C-band feed, said C-band monopole configured for being at least partially mounted upon said support surface of said Ku-band antenna body portion, said support surface of said Ku-band antenna body portion serving as a C-band ground plane for the C-band monopole, said C-band feed configured for being connected to the C-band monopole,

wherein said C-band antenna sub-system is integrated with said Ku-band antenna sub-system.

3. An antenna system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said C-band feed is further configured for being routed through the Ku-band antenna body portion, through an aperture formed by said Ku-band feed board, then to the C-band monopole.

4. An antenna system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said Ku-band feed board is configured for being disposed at least substantially within said Ku-band antenna body portion.

5. An antenna system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said Ku-band antenna body portion is cylindrically-shaped.

6. An antenna system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said C-band monopole is configured for providing an omni-directional radiation pattern.

7. An antenna system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said C-band monopole is configured for providing a wideband response, said response being a value included in a range of values ranging from 5 Gigahertz to 7 Gigahertz.

8. An antenna system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said C-band feed is a coaxial feed.