Blade antenna array

• US 9,136,611 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2012
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Mitchell, James P
• Primary Examiner(s): LIU, HARRY K
• Application Number:
  US13/398,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20130214969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 342/372, 342/359, 342/367
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/283 Blade, stub antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/08 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a rectilinear path waveguide fed H01Q21/0037

Abstract

A directional antenna system for an aircraft is disclosed. The directional antenna system may include an enclosure, a linear antenna array disposed within the enclosure and a controller. The linear antenna array may include a plurality of antenna elements physically oriented in the same orientation. The plurality of antenna elements may be positioned along a longitudinal axis of the aircraft and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance center-to-center. The controller may be in communication with each of the plurality of antenna elements of the linear antenna array. The controller may be configured for independently controlling a RF phase angle of each of the plurality of antenna elements based on a position of the aircraft and at least one ground station available to the aircraft, allowing the linear antenna array to concentrate RF radiations in a particular wavelength toward a general direction.

Claims

1. A directional antenna, comprising:

an enclosure positioned on an aircraft;

a first linear antenna array disposed within the enclosure, the first linear antenna array having a plurality of antenna elements physically oriented in a first orientation, the plurality of antenna elements being positioned along a longitudinal axis of the aircraft and being spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance center-to-center;

a second linear antenna array disposed within the enclosure, the second linear antenna array having a plurality of antenna elements physically oriented in a second orientation and spaced apart from each other by the predetermined distance center-to-center, wherein the second orientation is different from the first orientation; and

a controller in communication with each of the plurality of antenna elements of the first linear antenna array and each of the plurality of antenna elements of the second linear antenna array, the controller configured to selectively activate at least one of the first linear antenna array and the second linear antenna array, the controller further configured to independently control a RF phase angle of each of the plurality of antenna elements of the first linear antenna array and each of the plurality of antenna elements of the second linear antenna array, allowing the linear antenna array to concentrate RF radiations in a particular wavelength generally toward at least one ground station.

2. The directional antenna of claim 1, further comprising a tilt mechanism configured to tilt at least one of:

the first linear antenna array and the second linear antenna array.

3. The directional antenna of claim 2, wherein the tilt mechanism provides linear downtilt for at least one of:

the first linear antenna array and the second linear antenna array.

4. The directional antenna of claim 1, wherein two adjacent antenna elements of the plurality of antenna elements of each of the first linear antenna array and the second linear antenna array are spaced apart by approximately one quarter of the wavelength center-to-center.

5. The directional antenna of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to independently control an antenna gain of each of the plurality of antenna elements.

6. The directional antenna of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of antenna elements of the first linear antenna array is oriented perpendicular to a lateral axis of the aircraft.

7. A directional antenna, comprising:

an enclosure positioned on an aircraft;

a linear antenna array disposed within the enclosure, the linear antenna array having a plurality of antenna elements physically oriented in a same orientation, the plurality of antenna elements being spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance center-to-center;

a tilt mechanism configured to provide mechanical tilting of the linear antenna array;

a controller in communication with the tilt mechanism and each of the plurality of antenna elements of the linear antenna array, the controller configured to control the tilt mechanism and a RF phase angle of each of the plurality of antenna elements, allowing the linear antenna array to concentrate RF radiations in a particular wavelength generally toward at least one ground station to facilitate an air-to-ground communication.

8. The directional antenna of claim 7, wherein the directional antenna system is positioned on an aircraft, and wherein the controller is in communication with an aircraft positioning device and a ground station database, and the controller is configured to control the tilt mechanism and the RF phase angle of each of the plurality of antenna elements based on a position of the aircraft and at least one ground station available to the aircraft.

9. The directional antenna of claim 7, wherein two adjacent antenna elements of the plurality of antenna elements are spaced apart by approximately one quarter of the wavelength center-to-center.

10. The directional antenna of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of antenna elements comprises at least one of:

a blade antenna, a dipole antenna, a monopole antenna, a patch antenna, a folded antenna, a loop antenna, or a stripline antenna.

11. The directional antenna of claim 7, wherein the directional antenna system is positioned on an aircraft, and wherein each of the plurality of antenna elements is oriented perpendicular to a lateral axis of the aircraft.

12. A directional antenna, comprising:

an enclosure positioned on an aircraft;

a first linear antenna array disposed within the enclosure, the first linear antenna array having a plurality of antenna elements physically oriented in a first orientation and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance center-to-center;

a second linear antenna array disposed within the enclosure, the second linear antenna array having a plurality of antenna elements physically oriented in a second orientation and spaced apart from each other by the predetermined distance center-to-center, wherein the second orientation is different from the first orientation;

a controller in communication with the each of the plurality of antenna elements of the first linear antenna array and each of the plurality of antenna elements of the second linear antenna array, the controller configured to selectively activate at least one of the first linear antenna array or the second linear antenna array, the controller further configured to independently control a RF phase angle of each of the plurality of antenna elements of the first linear antenna array and each of the plurality of antenna elements of the second linear antenna array, allowing the linear antenna array to concentrate RF radiations in a particular wavelength generally toward at least one ground station to facilitate an air-to-ground communication.

13. The directional antenna of claim 12, wherein the directional antenna system is positioned on an aircraft, and wherein the plurality of antenna elements of the first linear antenna array is being positioned along a longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

14. The directional antenna of claim 12, wherein the directional antenna system is positioned on an aircraft, and wherein the first orientation is perpendicular to a lateral axis of the aircraft.

15. The directional antenna of claim 12, wherein the first orientation is orthogonal with respect to the second orientation.

16. The directional antenna of claim 12, wherein the directional antenna system is positioned on an aircraft, and wherein the first orientation is perpendicular to a lateral axis of the aircraft and the second orientation is perpendicular to the first orientation.

17. The directional antenna of claim 12, wherein the second orientation is rotated by a predetermined angle with respect to the first orientation.

18. The directional antenna of claim 12, further comprising a tilt mechanism configured to tilt at least one of:

the first linear antenna array or the second linear antenna array.

19. The directional antenna of claim 12, wherein the directional antenna system is positioned on an aircraft, and wherein the controller is in communication with an aircraft positioning device and a ground station database, and the controller is configured to control the RF phase angle of each of the plurality of antenna elements of the first linear antenna array and each of the plurality of antenna elements of the second linear antenna array based on a position of the aircraft and at least one ground station available to the aircraft.

20. The directional antenna of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of antenna elements of the first linear antenna array and each of the plurality of antenna elements of the second linear antenna array comprises at least one of:

a blade antenna, a dipole antenna, a monopole antenna, a patch antenna, a folded antenna, a loop antenna, or a stripline antenna.