Simultaneous imaging and precision alignment of two millimeter wave antennas based on polarization-selective machine vision

• US 9,437,923 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2012
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Commerce
• Original Assignee: The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Commerce
• Inventors: Gordon, Joshua A.
• Primary Examiner(s): McGue, Frank J
• Application Number:
  US13/651,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20140104104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,422 Days
• Field of Search: 342/359
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/125 Means for positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1257 using the received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/22 functioning also as polarisation filter
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/062 for focusing
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/195 wherein a reflecting surface acts also as a polarisation filter or a polarising device
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/08 for varying two co-ordinates of the orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/267 Phased-array testing or checking devices

Abstract

A system and method for imaging and aligning antennas that includes an overlay imaging aligner composed of two or more antennas in association with a polarization gate, a polarization beam splitter, a non-polarizing beam splitter, a beam dump, one or more imaging lens and a common detector array. The overlay imaging aligner aligns the antennas by overlaying simultaneous digital images associated with the antennas on the common detector array. The antennas can be, for example, mm Wave antennas, waveguides, etc. The detector array generates real-time digital images the antennas. Such an approach of simultaneous imaging leverages the spatial resolution of digital optical imaging to aligning antenna components.

Claims

1. A system for imaging and aligning antennas, said system comprising:

an overlay imaging aligner comprising;

at least two antennas forming a straight line beam path with a polarization beam splitter therebetween;

a polarization gate arranged perpendicularly to said straight line beam path;

a non-polarizing beam splitter aligned with said polarization gate on an opposite side of said polarization beam splitter along a perpendicular straight line beam path;

a beam dump and an alignment beam arranged on opposite sides of said non-polarizing beam splitter; and

at least one imaging lens and a common detector array aligned along said perpendicular straight line beam path, wherein said overlay imaging aligner aligns said at least two antennas by overlaying simultaneous digital images associated with said at least two antennas on said common detector array.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said common detector array comprises an imaging detector array.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said imaging detector array generates real-time digital images of said at least two antennas.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least two antennas comprise mm-Wave antennas.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said imaging detector array generates real-time digital images of said at least two antennas.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least two antennas comprise waveguides.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least two horns forming a beam path with said at least two lenses and said overlay imaging aligner, wherein said at least two lenses produce magnified images of respective apertures of said at least two horns to generate virtual horn images for use in aligning said at least two lenses to said at least two horns.

8. An apparatus for imaging and aligning antennas, said apparatus comprising:

at least two antennas forming a straight line beam path with a polarization beam splitter therebetween;

a polarization gate comprising a retro-reflecting mirror and a quarter plate, arranged perpendicularly to said straight line beam path;

a non-polarizing beam splitter aligned with said polarization gate on an opposite side of said polarization beam splitter along a perpendicular straight line beam path;

a beam dump and an alignment beam arranged on opposite sides of said non-polarizing beam splitter; and

at least one imaging lens and an imaging detector array, wherein said overlay imaging aligner aligns said at least two antennas by overlaying simultaneous digital images associated with said at least two antennas on said imaging detector array.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said at least two antennas comprise mm Wave antennas.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said imaging detector array generates real-time digital images of said at least two antennas.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising at least two horns forming a beam path with said at least two lenses and said overlay imaging aligner, wherein said at least two lenses produce magnified images of respective apertures of said at least two horns to generate virtual horn images for use in aligning said at least two lenses to said at least two horns.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said at least two antennas comprise waveguides.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said imaging detector array generates real-time digital images of said at least two antennas.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising at least two horns forming a beam path with said at least two lenses and said overlay imaging aligner, wherein said at least two lenses produce magnified images of respective apertures of said at least two horns to generate virtual horn images for use in aligning said at least two lenses to said at least two horns.

15. A method for imaging and aligning antennas, said method comprising:

configuring an overlay imaging aligner to include at least two antennas forming a straight line beam path with a polarization beam splitter therebetween, a polarization gate arranged perpendicularly to said straight line beam path, a non-polarizing beam splitter aligned with said polarization gate on an opposite side of said polarization beam splitter along a perpendicular straight line beam path, a beam dump and an alignment beam arranged on opposite side of said non-polarizing beam splitter, and at least one imaging lens and a common detector array; and

aligning said at least two antennas via said overlay imaging aligner by overlaying simultaneous digital images associated with said at least two antennas on said common detector array by leveraging a spatial resolution of said digital optical images to align antenna components associated with said at least two antennas.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said common detector array comprises an imaging detector array.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said imaging detector array generates real-time digital images of said at least two antennas.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein said at least two antennas comprise mm Wave antennas.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein said at least two antennas comprise waveguides.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

including in said beam path at least two horns with said at least two lenses and said overlay imaging aligner; and

aligning said at least two lenses to said at least two horns by employing said at least two lenses to produce images of respective apertures of said at least two horns to generate virtual horn images for use in said aligning of said at least two lenses to said at least two horns.